Naked Acts. 1996. USA. Written and directed by Bridgett M. Davis. With Jake-Ann Jones, Ron Cephas Jones, Renee Cox. DCP courtesy Kino Lorber. 87 min.
Shot over three months in 1994, Bridgett M. Davis’s Naked Acts was the first feature to be written, produced, directed, and self-distributed theatrically by an African American woman. A revealing glimpse into the demanding milieu of low-budget film shoots, Naked Acts tells the story of Cicely, an actor who recently lost 57 pounds and has landed her first role, in a low-budget art film, only to find that the role requires a nude scene. How can she keep her clothes on and keep her part? Cicely embarks on a personal journey that unveils a secret she once kept hidden beneath her girth. Along the way, she discovers that emotional nakedness is far more revealing than taking her clothes off could ever be. A recent rediscovery after finding new distribution, Naked Acts was included in S. Torriano Berry’s 2001 anthology The 50 Most Influential Black Films.