The Anthropologist
A filmmaker’s family journey into Black history
ABOUT
Dr. Louis E. King would have been the first person of color to graduate from the prestigious Columbia University, but the conferral of his degree was delayed by an astonishing three decades. Whether this delay was on account of the color of his skin or a more diffuse array of constraints at the university is the subject of this documentary. A personal documentary by King’s great grandson, Nick Tucker, the film seeks to reveal the underappreciated work of a man who might be considered the first Black cultural anthropologist in the US. King centered his work on testing and later disproving previously accepted ideas regarding intelligence-level disparities between Black communities during the Great Migration.
YEAR 2022
RUN TIME 19:00 Min
EMAIL ntucker061@gmail.com Website:
CAST & CREW CREDITS
DIRECTOR Nick Tucker
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Avery Griffin
COMPOSER Retji Dakum
SOUND Youcef Menasria
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kit Scott & Crystal Tubman
EDITORS Nick Tucker, Avery Griffin, Retji Dakum
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
This film was inspired by the love of my late grandmother Madline. I can recall countless moments when she told me the story of her father and his important impact on society, but at the time I was not quite able to understand the weight of the history being shared with me. While cleaning her estate after her passing, I stumbled upon a piece of this history and knew I was ready this time to learn more about my great grandfather’s place in my family history.
My statement in this film is to call attention to the need to highlight our Black pioneers who go unmentioned and celebrate their contributions to our advancement. It is also a personal plea to encourage everyone to learn more about their heritage and family history.
DIRECTOR BIO
Born and raised in northeast Baltimore, Nick Tucker is a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker whose films focus on telling the stories of history that typically go unmentioned. He holds a degree in film from Bowie State University, where he was a student athlete and China Scholarship Initiative Recipient, and an MFA in filmmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he was a Dr. Leslie King Hammond Fellow and president of the Graduate Black Student Union.
FILM AND PRODUCTION STILLS
AWARDS
FULL FILM
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Born and raised in northeast Baltimore, Nick Tucker is a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker whose films focus on telling the stories of history that typically go unmentioned. He holds a degree in film from Bowie State University, where he was a student athlete and China Scholarship Initiative Recipient, and an MFA in filmmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he was a Dr. Leslie King Hammond Fellow and president of the Graduate Black Student Union.
(Update provided in May 2022)