Tongues Untied (1990)
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.
Director: Marlon Riggs
![]() |
Marlon Riggs as Self |
![]() |
Essex Hemphill as Self - Poetry Performance |
![]() |
Brian Freeman as Self |
![]() |
Michael Bell as Self |
![]() |
Willi Ninja as Self |
![]() |
Kerrigan Black as Self |
![]() |
Blackberri as Self |
![]() |
Djola Bernard Branner as Self |
![]() |
Eddie Murphy as Self (archive footage) |
| Directing | Marlon Riggs | Director |
| Camera | Vivian Kleiman | Director of Photography |
| Writing | Joseph Beam | Writer |
| Sound | Steve Langley | Original Music Composer |
| Camera | Marlon Riggs | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Marlon Riggs | Original Music Composer |
| Writing | Reginald Jackson | Writer |
| Writing | Steve Langley | Writer |
| Writing | Chris Harris | Writer |
| Writing | Alan Miller | Writer |
| Writing | Donald Woods | Writer |
| Sound | Alex Langford | Original Music Composer |
| Production | Brian Freeman | Associate Producer |
| Production | Marlon Riggs | Producer |
| Editing | Marlon Riggs | Editor |
| Writing | Essex Hemphill | Writer |
| Writing | Marlon Riggs | Writer |