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A letter released on Friday that carried the names of some of the most influential black figures in film, television, visual art, music, theater, literature and other cultural disciplines called on the institutions they work with to actively fight racism by cutting ties with the police, as well as financially supporting and advocating for black artists and their work.The letter, published online to commemorate Juneteenth, was promoted by a new organization called Black Artists for Freedom, which describes itself as a collective of black workers in the culture industries. It carries the names of hundreds of cultural leaders, including Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Lupita Nyong’o and Tessa Thompson in film; Debbie Allen, Lee Daniels and Sterling K. Brown in television; John Legend, Questlove and Janelle Monáe in music; and Jamaica Kincaid, Marlon James and Jesmyn Ward in literature.Making a direct appeal to the institutions with which they work, the collective laid out the ways that racist stereotypes are perpetuated in books, film and other mediums, and demanded that institutions work to right those wrongs.“No more stereotypes. No more tokenism. No more superficial diversity,” the letter read. “No longer will we watch Black culture be contorted into a vehicle for self-congratulation, complacency, guilt relief, experiential tourism, fetishism, appropriation, and theft.”Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation and one of the architects of the effort, said the letter started to come together informally a few weeks ago when she was on the phone with a friend discussing the protests across the country in response to the killing of George Floyd. She said the question was “What can we do?” And the answer that arose from the conversations that followed was to compose a letter in celebration of Juneteenth that unified the voices of artists across different cultural fields.“We wanted to use the day to celebrate our imagination and our value,” Ms. Lucas said. “We thought one way we would be able to do that is show our strength in numbers.”The initial letter published online carried more than 1,000 signatures and offered an option for others to add their names.The letter echoes the appeals of protesters marching against police brutality in its call for institutions like museums, theaters, book stores and festivals to break contracts they have with police departments and “reconceive what it means to keep art, audiences, and patrons safe.”“We hope to amplify the movement’s work and to call out our own industries for what they are: institutions that promote colonialism, capitalism, and racism, and that function in exploitative and destructive ways,” the letter read.Many cultural institutions put out statements in solidarity with protesters or posted black squares on social media for #BlackoutTuesday — efforts that, in some cases, were criticized as tone deaf or insufficient in responding to the racism in their own organizations. Friday’s letter urged these institutions to “put their money where their mouths are” by hiring and promoting black cultural workers in all disciplines and putting substantial resources into their work. It called on them to recruit black people for leadership positions and create pathways for black students to enter their professions.The letter closed with the demand that black artists have the freedom to shape how stories about blackness are told rather than listening to what overwhelmingly white institutions consider “marketable” or “palatable,” whether in television shows, novels, fashion, podcasting or the myriad disciplines that the 1,000-plus names represent. More

The death of the Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who came to prominence in romantic hero roles in film and television, has resulted in an outpouring of remembrances in India from leaders and actors alike. On Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Rajput “a bright young actor gone too soon.” Ekta Kapoor, a television producer who was credited with launching Rajput’s television career, posted an emotional video tribute. And Rajput’s idol, the actor Shah Rukh Khan, wrote, “I will miss him so much.”Rajput’s death, which Mumbai police are investigating as a suicide, has also resurfaced the debate over the country’s stigma against mental health, as well as the industry’s rampant nepotism and treatment of “outsiders” — Rajput made his way up in the industry without being related to any other filmmakers, actors and producers, a common reality for many. The actress Deepika Padukone, who has been open about her experiences with depression, has tweeted daily reminders this week that depression is an illness, and urged the media to be sensitive in covering Rajput’s death.In his relatively short career, Rajput rose from background dancer to leading man. Here are some of his best performances.“Pavitra Rishta”During a brief stint on the daily soap opera “Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil,” Rajput caught the eye of the show’s producer Kapoor, who asked him to audition for “Pavitra Rishta.” After seeing his screen test, Rajput later recalled, Kapoor told him, “I will make you a star.” In 2009, Rajput landed the lead role in the daily Hindi-language soap opera adapted from a Tamil-language show, “Thirumathi Selvam.” He played Manav Deshmukh, a car mechanic who falls in love with Archana Karanjkar (Ankita Lokhande). The show details their relationship in the face of familial and societal pressure.“Pavitra Rishta” is available to stream on Zee5 in India.“Kai Po Che!”Rajput marked his Bollywood debut with this 2013 film. Based on the novel “The 3 Mistakes of My Life” by Chetan Bhagat, the story centers on three friends who open a sporting goods store and cricket academy. Rajput stars as Ishaan, an avid cricket fan turned coach who spots and vigorously trains a budding cricket prodigy. Set in Ahmedabad, India, the story takes place against the backdrop of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and the sectarian riots set off by a train fire in the state in 2002, with the sociopolitical turmoil upending the trio’s friendship. Rajput received a Filmfare Award nomination, a coveted honor in the Hindi-language film industry of India. Taran Adarsh, a film critic, said in his review of the film that Rajput was “blessed with wonderful screen presence.”“Kai Po Che!” is available to stream on Netflix.“Shuddh Desi Romance”In this 2013 romantic dramedy, Rajput stars as a man who runs from an arranged marriage on the day of his wedding. He eventually falls in love with Gayatri (Parineeti Chopra). Then, on their wedding day, she runs away, repeating the cycle. The film was seen as a progressive take on India’s values around dating and marriage, and Rajput was praised for bringing “freshness” to the role.“Shuddh Desi Romance” is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.“M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story”Rajput starred in this 2016 film as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian national cricket team. The story follow’s Dhoni’s rise from his childhood in Ranchi, India, and his early jobs, including as a ticket collector, capturing how he fell in love with the sport along the way. Dhoni is credited with leading India to its 2011 World Cup victory — a pursuit that is central to the film. “M.S. Dhoni” became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of its year, and Rajput’s performance netted him several award nominations.“M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story” is available to stream on Hotstar. More

A creepy abandoned house in the boondocks, a shadowy figure in the background, a mysterious man battling unnamed demons — even if you haven’t visited the Welsh spook-house in “You Should Have Left,” you’ve definitely been here before. The film, which is adapted by the director David Koepp and Daniel Kehlmann, from Kehlmann’s novel of the same name, aims for depth but only wades through shallow waters.The retired, middle-aged Theo (Kevin Bacon) and his much younger actress wife, Susanna (Amanda Seyfried), venture to Wales with their young daughter, Ella (Avery Essex), for some bonding and R&R. The land is picturesque, but the house, an impersonal, aggressively modern design, seems to have been dreamed up by Doctor Who: It’s inexplicably bigger on the inside.[embedded content]Some lukewarm scares (doors opening and shutting, as they’re wont to do in haunted houses) signal the fact that something isn’t quite right. And then there’s Theo, who’s suspiciously neurotic about people learning his identity; he’s widely hated and, on top of that, a recovering hothead. He tries to manage his thinly veiled rage and jealousy with journaling and meditation. But in his character, too, there’s something amiss.What the film seems to want to build toward, as Theo angrily scrawls out his frustrations with his wife and wanders through the labyrinthine home, is a Jack Torrance-style breakthrough. Bacon, almost comical in Theo’s violent spasms of fear, delivers a more intriguing performance when he exudes an air of wrath, but that fierce tension isn’t maintained throughout. Meanwhile, we become lost in the house’s ever-expanding hallways and stairways, which draw the eye but remains the movie’s only real point of interest.Sure, there’s Theo with his secrets, but he is ultimately forgettable, a cookie-cutter portrait of a protagonist — and that goes for the whole brood. Essex’s Ella, though reliably adorable, is ornamental, meant to do nothing more than heighten the stakes. Seyfried has even less to do.Armed with allegory, the film cobbles together a slapdash religious metaphor involving damnation out of the workings of the house, what the house actually is and its relationship to Theo, who’s ensnared by its constant turns and shifting dimensions. Koepp and Kehlmann’s screenplay fails to properly set the groundwork for the film’s final twist, instead dropping egregious and poorly incorporated hints on the sluggish march to a telegraphed conclusion. And the direction, too, feels languid, almost mechanical, with rote terrors and tones robbed from horror movies past.Theo should have left the house right away — the title didn’t need to tell us. But “You Should Have Left” also offers us a dreary term of confinement. Time to head for the door.You Should Have LeftRated R. Running time: 1 hour 33 minutes. Rent or buy on Vudu and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators. More

A number of energetic dance routines elevate “Feel the Beat,” a predictable dramedy streaming on Netflix. The film hews to the formula of “The Bad News Bears,” following a self-absorbed Broadway achiever named April (Sofia Carson) who becomes an instructor for a preteen dance troupe. Her heart has been hardened in blind ambition, but it’s nothing a few gawky kids in leotards can’t revive.In the film’s opening moments, April botches a Broadway audition by way of an embarrassing public mishap. Her cap brim pulled down in shame, she grudgingly decamps to her Wisconsin hometown where she accepts a job teaching at her old ballet studio. She hopes that an upcoming youth dance competition — in which the instructor shares the spotlight — will resuscitate her career, but her prickly tough love approach leaves the pigtailed girls petrified.[embedded content]The harmony among the kids, particularly the older girls Kari (Lidya Jewett) and Sarah (Eva Hauge), is the film’s greatest asset, and the director, Elissa Down, uses their natural charm as a crutch for the run-of-the-mill story. In an authentic touch, one of the dancers is deaf, and the group often uses sign language to communicate. The kids’ enthusiasm as an ensemble suggests a funnier, warmer movie, a cute clone of “School of Rock” in which the misfits take center stage as they blossom into talented ballerinas. Their joy is enough to thaw April’s iciness, but it can’t save the slight movie that surrounds them.Feel the BeatNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes. Watch on Netflix. More

Early on in the plain-spoken documentary “Disclosure” (streaming on Netflix), an interview subject, the actress Jen Richards, makes an acknowledgment and a recommendation. Every transgender person carries their own private record of what they saw in their youth that shaped their understanding of what it meant to be transgender. But to truly recognize one’s place in the cultural landscape, she says, it’s necessary to learn about the broader history of transgender representation onscreen.Combining archival footage with interviews with transgender writers, performers and filmmakers, “Disclosure” sets out to provide a transgender lens on film history. The director Sam Feder draws a significant amount of material from Richards, Laverne Cox, Leo Sheng and others, who generously share memories of encountering transgender stories before their own successes. The documentary relies heavily on these talking heads to give older film and TV reels their context, but the passion and knowledge of the speakers lend force to this familiar — even generic — format.The archival images in “Disclosure” range from D.W. Griffith films to Jerry Springer TV episodes, and they are remarkably consistent. Again and again, we are shown transgender people being bluntly ridiculed and subjected to violence, their autonomy denied and viciously questioned. The way the clips are deployed here recalls the montage ending of Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled,” which showcased a similarly damning set of images of the casual use of blackface in cinema.In both films, it is the sheer abundance of banal, thoughtless cruelty that jolts, and “Disclosure” is careful to note how cruelty multiplies when transgender people are also black. With each successive trip to the grim vaults, the hard-won dignity of the film’s transgender speakers is brought into sharper and sharper relief.DisclosureNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes. Watch on Netflix. More