BLACK MAMA, WHITE MAMA
dir. Eddie Romero, 1973
United States/Philippines. 87 min.
In English.

SUNDAY, MARCH 3 – 5 PM
MONDAY, MARCH 11 – 10 PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 15 – MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 – 10 PM

Rich girl-turned-revolutionary, Karen (Markov), and brassy former prostitute, Lee (Grier), are the newest inmates at a Philippines jungle prison. The two immediately butt heads, causing enough trouble to warrant a transfer to a maximum-security facility. While en route to the new jail, their convoy is ambushed by Karen’s comrades, allowing her and Lee to escape, albeit still shackled together. With different plans, different enemies, and a mutual hatred for one another, the two fugitives must learn to work together to survive the peril-laden jungles.

Directed by Filipino film legend, Eddie Romero, BLACK MAMA, WHITE MAMA stands as the pinnacle of Grier’s & Markov’s work in the WIP genre. It was almost inevitable that their careers would cross paths, given that their prior WIP work had all been produced in the same budget-friendly Philippines (in some cases, at the same time). The concept for the film was originally pitched by Joe Viola and Jonathan Demme as a modern riff on Stanley Kramer’s THE DEFIANT ONES, updating its setting and themes and engorging it with titillating content, but keeping the fiery political spirit of the original intact.

The film became a box office hit for American International Pictures, with critics singling out the pairing of Grier & Markov as a “hit with audiences”.