Presented in partnership with The Studio Museum in Harlem, Studio Screen is a nonfiction film series addressing the on and off screen legacies of socially engaged cultural movements of the 1970s. Drawing thematic inspiration from two of the Museum’s current exhibitions, “Circa 1970” and “The Window and the Breaking of the Window,” the selected films highlight the chosen methods and leaders people turn to when everyday injustices move them to protest.
Each screening will be followed by a talk-back session, featuring local community organizers, which will serve as a space for intergenerational reflection on contemporary protest practices and the ways history is present in all that we do.
All proceeds from the screenings will support the work of Maysles Cinema at the Maysles Documentary Center (MDC), a not for profit organization dedicated to the exhibition and production of documentary films that inspire dialogue and action.
Lineup of upcoming screening events follows below.
— Sunday, January 22nd, 5:00pm
“¡Pa’lante, Siempre Pa’lante!”
Iris Morales, 1996, 48 min
In the midst of the African American liberation struggle, protests to end the Vietnam War and the women’s movement for equality, the Young Lords Party emerged, raising a militant voice for the empowerment of Puerto Ricans and other Latino/as in the United States. Through intimate conversations with former members and archival footage, the documentary surveys Puerto Rican history as well as the Young Lords’ political vision and legacy.
Screening followed by a talk-back session with the film’s director, Iris Morales, highlighting her experience as the first female member of the Young Lords as well as her work capturing the organization’s history in film and the recently published Through the Eyes of Rebel Women.
Trailer below:
— Sunday, February 19th, 5:00pm
“Hustlers Convention”
Mike Todd, 2015, 96 min
The film sheds a new light on the seminal yet largely unknown album “Hustlers Convention.” Released in 1973, the album is often regarded as a cornerstone in the evolution of Hip Hop. Centering on its creator, Lightnin’ Rod aka Jalal Nuriddin of The Last Poets, the film uses archival footage, specially commissioned animation as well as interviews with influential figures like the late Amiri Baraka, KRS One and executive producer Chuck D to unveil the story behind this lost classic.
Talk-back session participants TBA.
Trailer below:
The Maysles Documentary Center (MDC) was founded by the late documentary filmmaker and pioneer Albert Maysles (1926-2015) in 2005. Maysles Cinema, at MDC, is dedicated to the exhibition and discussion of documentary films. The Cinema is committed to a democratic experience, one where filmmakers are asked to attend the screenings of their work, and audiences have the opportunity to actively engage the films, subjects in the films, experts, and each other in post-screening forums. Coupled with scheduled programming, programming participation of local social and cultural organizations is encouraged to deepen community involvement and provide exposure for under-represented social issues and overlooked artists and their work. The center’s renovated 55-seat cinema is now outfitted with Dolby Surround Sound and DCP. MDC also offers educational programming for filmmakers of all ages and produces documentary films.
