From Compton Cowboys to Rosebud rappers: how Charlie Buhler is defying stereotypes of BIPOC communities
You only need to meet Charlie Buhler once to understand her work: the stories she has documented and the communities she has worked with speak to an extraordinary level of trust between filmmaker and subject.
From kid cowboys in Compton, to Indigenous hip hop artists in Rosebud, South Dakota, it is clear to see how people would be drawn to Charlie’s infectious energy and authenticity – and why, in turn, they have been happy to open up their lives to her.
This approach lends itself to a unique portfolio of work, led by people rather than agenda, and shaped by the individuals Charlie encounters along the way.
Strongly influenced by her upbringing as a bi-racial woman growing up in a predominantly white area in South Dakota, Charlie discusses how she uses her work to make sense of the dichotomy between how she experiences the world – and how the world experiences her – through the lenses of race and gender.
Her work, while defying stereotypes, adds much needed nuance to the representation of rural and urban BIPOC spaces.
From Compton Cowboys to Rosebud rappers: how Charlie Buhler is defying stereotypes of BIPOC communities