Melvin Van Peebles, hailed as 'Godfather of Black Cinema' passes away at 89

African-American filmmaker, Melvin Van Peebles has died at the age of 89, his son announced recently. As per CNN reports, the godfather of modern Black cinema passed away at his residence in Manhattan on Tuesday night. The veteran had a huge role in being at the forefront of modern Black cinema in the 1970s and is known for his independent films Watermelon Man and Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. 

His son, Mario Van Peebles uploaded a detailed statement on his social media handle today, grieving his father. Talking about his father's work, Mario mentioned that his father knew that black images matter, emphasising how one needs to see themselves being 'free in order to be the success we see'. 

What happened to Melvin Van Peebles? 

The American cinema giant passed away on Tuesday night at his Manhattan home, surrounded by his family. His son delved into the details about his demise, adding that he was around his father when he passed around 2.30 am. Expressing how his father wouldn't have wanted to pass away in the hospital as he was getting older, Mario added he slept in Melvin's room right before he passed away. 

Mentioning the exact moment he realised Melvin had passed away, Mario said,

"Some reason I woke up, I felt something, and I went over to dad... put my hand on his chest and said daddy I love you...and he had stopped breathing."

Adding he was glad that his father passed away at home, surrounded by his loved ones and family, he spoke about the inevitable cycle of life, saying "none of us is going to live forever." "Growing up with him I saw a life well lived," Mario mentioned. 

His death was also mourned by director Barry Jenkins, among several others from the entertainment fraternity. Taking to her Twitter handle, she reminisced the time the two filmmakers had come together for one last time. "He made the most of every second, of EVERY single damn frame and admittedly, while the last time I spent any time with him was MANY years ago, it was a night in which he absolutely danced his face-off," Jenkins wrote. "The man just absolutely LIVED."

(Image: AP)