It was almost exactly a year ago when director Bull Duke anounced that we was developing 2 feature documentary follow-ups to Dark Girls, after a screening of that film at the Pan African Film Festival in 2012, which I attended.

Sharing with the audience during a Q&A after the screening, Duke said that the two follow-up films would include: Yellow Brick Road, which will look at the the *colorism* issue from the fairer-skinned black woman's point of view (Dark Girls was from the darker-skinned black woman's POV); and the other would be titled What Is A Man, which will explore what masculinity and manhood is, from the beginning of humanity to the present.

Skip ahead to yesterday, when I was informed that Duke is currently filmming What Is A Man with the assistance of New York Film Academy students in Los Angele. Furthermore, it's said that the film will explore what it means to be a man, physically, biologically, and sociologically. Students have already begun shooting interviews with men all over the world, from countries in Europe, to Asia, and America thus far, with more to come, includng interviews with comedians, religious figures, and celebrities.

Duke apparently initially first approached NYFA Producing instructor Cheryl Bedford to inquire about her students working on a trailer for the film (Bedford previously worked with Duke on Dark Girls). But after meeting with the students, Duke was so impressed by them, that he brought them on to work with him on the entire documentary, not only filming interviews, but also assuming various other positions like first assistant director, second assistant director, unit production manager, writer, gaffer, key grip, director of photography, and more.

On the job training, I suppose.

No word yet on when we can expect What Is A Man, but I'd assume in the next 12 months. And also no word on what was to be part 2 of this trilogy, Yellow Brick Road.

Stay tuned…