Jamaa Fanaka
Jamaa Fanaka (born Walter Gordon; September 6, 1942 – April 1, 2012) was an American filmmaker. He is best known for his 1979 film, Penitentiary and is one of the leading directors of the L.A. Rebellion film movement. Fanaka died on April 1, 2012.
Early life and education
Fanaka was born Walter Gordon to Robert L. and Beatrice Gordon in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1971, Fanaka was accepted into the film school at UCLA. His first film, "A Day in the Life of Willie Faust, or Death on the Installment Plan," was a morality tale shot in 8mm film about a herion addict. The film stars Fanaka (credited as Walt Gordon) in the title role. It is the only narrative short he ever made. Jan-Christopher Horak of the UCLA Film Archives when comparing the movie with the 1972 blaxploitation film, Super Fly, released the same year, observed, "unlike Priest's elegant cocaine consumption in Super Fly, Willie's arm gushes blood as he injects heroin."
Later, he changed his name to Jamaa Fanaka. Ntongela Masilela states that while "a fundamental tenet of the Los Angeles school was an opposition to Hollywood," Fanaka was a notable exception. He describes Fanaka as "very much fascinated by Hollywood and averse to the contentious ideological and artistic discussions that were fundamental to the formation of the school."