The Book of Love

1992, 59:37 min, color, sound

Writes Cokes: "In 1984 I conceived of the idea of producing a documentary that framed its own devices. I was interested in how a woman, specifically a Black woman, would speak in a television context." In The Book of Love, Cokes' mother recounts her life through interview, stories, and song, effectively re-presenting history through the personal. Through intimate subjectivity, Cokes attempts to understand his own present and history by tracing/retracing the life of his mother.

With: Dorothy R. Cokes. Assistant Director: Kenseth Armstead. Studio Assistant: Giotto B. Video: Ruchir Joshi. Audio: Phil Argiroff. Editor: Ivar Smedstad. Consultants: Gail Back, Rick Reta. Equipment: McCave Video, VRI Schaff. Post-Production: Robert Beck, Electronic Arts Intermix. Funding: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Independent Television Service, New York State Council on the Arts, Art Matters inc.