Kiss Grandmama Goodbye + I Be Done Been Was Is

In these restored films from pioneering Black filmmaker Debra J. Robinson, a young girl comes to terms with the death of her grandmother, and four Black women comedians in the 1980s go about their daily lives.

Join us for a Q&A with Debra J. Robinson following the screening!

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Kiss Grandmama Goodbye (1989)

Set in a segregated midwestern community in the early 60s, Debra J. Robinson’s touching drama follows a young girl as she comes to terms with the death of her beloved grandmother

I Be Done Been Was Is (1984)

Robinson profiles four Black female comedians—Alice Arthur, Rhonda Hansome, Jane Galvin Lewis, and Marsha Warfield—who use humor to illuminate the experiences of African-American women. Interweaving footage from their sets with candid interviews, I Be Done Was Is offers an engaging, insightful look at what it means to be a talented, sharp-witted Black woman navigating the male-dominated world of stand-up.

Restoration courtesy the Academy Film Archive and the Women’s Film Preservation Fund of New York Women in Film and Television.