

One minute. 400 years. This experimental short hits like a gut punch.
"A concise, one-minute cartoon history of the black American, commissioned by the Public Broadcast Laboratory and shown on NET network." - Canyon Cinema
Direction
Breer's rapid-fire imagery refuses comfort or closure.
Editing
60 seconds of aggressive montage that weaponizes brevity.
Production
Commissioned for public TV, then largely buried.

Director
Robert Breer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Created for the Public Broadcast Laboratory, a precursor to PBS, during the network's brief experimental window before conservative budget cuts.
Breer, a white avant-garde animator, was specifically requested by Black filmmakers including Madeline Anderson who wanted white audiences confronted through non-didactic form.