Regardless of your position on Occupy Oakland, the good news is that Oaklanders can now occupy City Hall without causing property damage or engaging in acts of vandalism. 

Throughout February, Rocky Seker will be curating a free film series, "A Celebration of Black History Month through Film," held in the city's Council Chambers.

Seker, the author of Black Cinema at Large - a nationally-recognized blog on African-American film - put together the series with the assistance of Vice Mayor Desley Brooks long before the now infamous events of Jan. 29, during which City Hall was besieged and violated by errant Occupiers enraged after a day of skirmishes with OPD. Yet there’s a certain irony in the fact that the film series takes place inside City Hall, what with all the talk about OO’s anarchist fringe element not representing the Oakland community and the diversity of its residents. 

If you’re looking for even more poetic justice, with a recent pop culture hook no less, that can be gleaned from the fact that Seker is showing independent black films. Keen observers might recall the kerfuffle over the $58 million production of “Red Tails” – and the criticism that black people, and filmgoers in general, should also throw their support behind non-mainstream films, which don’t enjoy wide theatrical release and Hollywood marketing and promotional budgets. Well, here’s your chance.

The film series, held from 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays in February, begins Feb. 3, with “The American Dream” (formerly "Make a Movie Like Spike"), followed by a Q&A moderated by Davey D featuring producer and Oakland resident Brittany Ballard.

The series continues Feb. 10 with "The Interruptors" (a new documentary from the makers of "Hoop Dreams") and on Feb. 17, the critically-acclaimed Fishbone documentary "Everyday Sunshine" screens, followed by a panel with director Chris Metzler. The series wraps up on Feb. 24 with the Mario Van Peebles-directed "Redemption Road" and March 2 with "White Scripts, Black Supermen" - with a panel featuring director Jonathan Gayles

While City Hall might seem like an unlikely place for a film series, Seker said Brooks was keen on the idea of opening up the space for the community at large – and even more so after the events of Jan. 29. Speaking of the community, the film series will be spotlighting a different local indie film fest each week, as well as featuring musical entertainment from bands like Soul Mechanix. How's that for a mic-check?

Seker also noted the wide range of content within the context of the series, from films about filmmakers who get co-opted by war to urban redemption to a documentary about legendary musicians to the intersection of blues and country music, to an African American take on the comic book milieu.

With so much encompassed in these five films, it’s becoming harder and harder to pigeonhole black films as a single genre – and harder to deny their place within America’s cinematic canon.