She's Gotta Have It (1986)
(Spike Lee, US 1986, 84 min., 35mm)
Heralding a new voice on the independent film scene, Spike Lee’s first feature was made for only $175,000 and over just twelve days. Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) is a Brooklyn-based graphic artist who relishes her freedom, particularly to date liberally. She is seeing three men: the sweet Jamie (Tommy Redmond Hicks), strapping model Greer (John Canada Terrell), and fast-talking bike messenger Mars Blackmon (Lee himself). The men become jealous, and the situation comes to a head when Nola is asked to see only one exclusively. Now, she must make a choice—about her life and who she wants to be. The black-and-white aesthetic, ingenious shot choice and editing, and fresh point of view make this one of the most stunning film debuts of all time.