NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE: Denzel Washington in Training Day
BLACK FILM characters are too often portrayed as drug dealers, a new study has found which may come as no surprise to Voice readers.
More than 80 per cent of African-Caribbean people said they were unhappy with the negative stereotype, and a further 63 per cent said black roles were overly sexual.
This reflected the view of the general public who agreed with the stereotype.
And of the 4, 315 people surveyed, 74 per cent expressed a desire to see a superhero in a film that was not a white male.
The study was commissioned by the UK Film Council to find out how minority groups were perceived by audiences.
Mary Fitzpatrick, head of diversity at the UK Film Council, said the results made clear that more work needs to be done to create authentic characters that reflect reality.
She said: “Film has the ability to change behaviour and shift opinion, so we in the industry all have a responsibility to ensure these findings are not ignored.”
The research would now play an important role in helping make a “powerful and dynamic change to the way in which diverse groups are portrayed in film going forward”, Fitzpatrick added.
In a further twist, the study showed that despite having to put up with one-dimensional characters, black people represent some of the most regular film viewers.
Up to 56 per cent of black African and Caribbean people visit the cinema on a monthly basis, in comparison to the average 31 per cent.
Significantly, around two thirds said they would watch more films if they felt they were presented more accurately, underlining the fact that the film industry would benefit if they adopted the recommendations.
British comedienne and actress, Jenny Eclair, said: “Sadly, this research demonstrates that, even in our culture of supposed diversity, film – one of the key cultural mediums – is still misrepresenting large proportions of UK film goers.
“The industry is in danger of continuing this misrepresentation where there is clearly the opportunity at hand to change opinion for good”.
