‘Sometimes it’s not perfect, but it works’: film-maker Charles Burnett on his chronicling of Black working-class life

The Guardian Culture Saturday 17 October 2026, 13:00 UTC By Adria R Walker 1 min read

Key Points

A restored version of his 1983 film My Brother’s Wedding, set in South Central LA, brings Burnett’s vision to a new audienceCharles Burnett had a dilemma. He had agreed to attend the wedding of a co-worker, but the wedding was scheduled for the same day and time as a funeral for a childhood friend. Initially, the film-maker – a landmark chronicler of Black working-class lives – decided he’d go to the funeral.

A restored version of his 1983 film My Brother’s Wedding, set in South Central LA, brings Burnett’s vision to a new audience

Charles Burnett had a dilemma. He had agreed to attend the wedding of a co-worker, but the wedding was scheduled for the same day and time as a funeral for a childhood friend.

Initially, the film-maker – a landmark chronicler of Black working-class lives – decided he’d go to the funeral. But when he tried to break the news to the co-worker, she was so dejected that he couldn’t go through with it. He tried asking the bride to change the wedding – which was “ridiculous to think of trying to do”, he says decades later – but that didn’t work either. He decided he’d go to both events.

Charles Burnett (PERSON) South Central LA (LOCATION) Burnett (PERSON)

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