Teaching short films and music video as Black art: A metaphysical approach.

This article focuses on pedagogical strategies for teaching short experimental films and music video art created by Black filmmakers, emphasizing a "metaphysical approach" that highlights spiritual and aesthetic elements beyond conventional racial representation. It situates these works within the digital age's expanded access to Black experimental film and introduces the framework of "music video as Black art" (MVBA), which explores Black filmmakers' engagement with musical traditions and avant-garde visual practices. Using Kahlil Joseph and Flying Lotus's *Until the Quiet Comes* as a central case study, the article presents teaching methods that challenge common misconceptions about Black film, encourage suspension of preconceived narratives, and foster openness to metaphysical interpretations of bodies, space, and presence. The metaphysical approach is proposed as a tool to deepen critical engagement and expand understanding beyond stereotypical or reductive readings of Blackness in film.