2009/US
Dir. Goran Hugo Olsson
 
This fascinating documentary tells the story of legendary soul artist Billy Paul, the city of Philadelphia, his life long companionship with his wife Blanche, and of how the oppression of Afro-Americans and the civil rights movement gave rise to the birth of Soul music.

Particularly well known for his song, “Me and Mrs Jones” which became a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic in the seventies, Paul’s follow up single, Am I Black Enough For You flopped, and it was a failure that nearly cost Paul his career.  Looking back it seems that the lyrics offered too radical a message for the majority of the white market of the seventies.  

But if the song had such a radical message, enough to turn away a huge number of fans, why was it released? Did Paul have an obligation to act as a leader for his race?  Am I Black Enough For You seeks to answer this question and to help us comprehend the lived experience of racism in America during this period.