Black lives matter, on film
Amsterdam Film Show 12/06/2020
At a big moment for #BlackLivesMatter all over the world, in this edition of the Amsterdam Film Show, @KikoMorah and new presenter, Elliot Bloom, share what to watch and why, when it comes to black history and culture – and which films you can catch on the big screen in Amsterdam.
(Show notes and links below).
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Show notes & links
Linkes on Pinterest, here:
WHAT TO WATCH | #BLACKLIVESMATTER
Do the Right Thing (1989) | Director: Spike Lee | Writer: Spike Lee | Stars: John Turturro, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee | 18 | 2h | Comedy, Drama | “A boiling hot summer in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant causes existing tensions between Black and Italian residents to escalate. The owners of a pizzeria, Sal and his sons Pino and Vito, become the target of hatred in this hard-hitting portrayal of conflicts between various ethnic groups in New York. Do the Right Thing established director Spike Lee’s name as a deeply engaged filmmaker who speaks his mind without losing his sense of humour. Music is always a crucial element in his films; Rosie Perez opens Do the Right Thing dancing to Public Enemy’s provocative ‘Fight the Power’. Lee is now one of the most prominent filmmakers of the African-American community. Brand new 4K restoration.” EYE filmmuseum SCREENING @ DE UITKIJK @ EYEfilmmuseum @FILMHALLEN @THE MOVIES @ FC HYENA & more
Atlanta | 30min | Comedy, Drama, Music | TV Series (2016– ) | Creator: Donald Glover | Stars: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield | “Based in Atlanta, Earn and his cousin Alfred try to make their way in the world through the rap scene. Along the way they come face to face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status, and parenthood.” IMDB
Sorry to Bother You (2018) | Director: Boots Riley | Writer: Boots Riley | Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler | 15 | 1h 52min | Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | “In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.” IMDB
? LONG READ! | “How Afro-Surrealism tackles neoliberalism and its racist regime to help fill a post-capitalist space”, a paper by Elliot Bloom
Black Panther (2018) | Director: Ryan Coogler
Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole + | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o | 12A | 2h 14min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | “T’Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country’s past.” IMDB
Black Dynamite (2009) | Director: Scott Sanders
Writers: Michael Jai White (screenplay), Byron Minns (screenplay) | 3 more credits »
Stars: Michael Jai White, Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson
15 | 1h 24min | Action, Comedy |”Black Dynamite is the greatest African-American action star of the 1970s. When his only brother is killed by The Man, it’s up to him to find justice.” IMDB
Malcolm X | Director: Spike Lee | Writers: Alex Haley (book), Malcolm X (book) | Stars: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo | “Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam.” IMDB
Da 5 Bloods (2020) | Director: Spike Lee | Writers: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo + | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Jean Reno, Paul Walter Hauser | 15 | 2h 34min | Drama, War | “Four African-American vets battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen Squad Leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.” IMDB
Straight Outta Compton (2015) | Director: F. Gary Gray | Writers: Jonathan Herman (screenplay), Andrea Berloff (screenplay) | Stars: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell | 15 | 2h 27min | Biography, Drama, History | “The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.” IMDB
+ more links on the Pinterest board.
Special screenings
Black Light series @ EYE filmmuseum | exploring the representation of black identity in cinema – picks: Babylon, Black Panther, Sorry To Bother You, The Harder They Come, The Blood of Jesus and more.
REMINDER! 1.5m at the cinema
Cinemas opened again from 1 June in NL, but there are still special measures in place due to the current coronavirus crisis. Things to know:
- Don’t go if you or anyone in your household has any covid symptoms.
- You must reserve a ticket in advance, you can’t walk in to a cinema and buy a ticket just before a showing (but you can book online, up to 5 minutes before the start of a screening, and you can book tickets at a box office if it’s well in advance.)
- No-show Cineville reservations will be cancelled 5m before screenings.
- Come to the cinema alone or in the company of people from your household (max. 5 people).
- Arrive on time, but no earlier than 15m before the start of your film.
- No admissions after the film has started.
- Go to the toilet before you arrive.
- In the screening, you’re expected to leave two seats empty between you and others but people from the same household can sit next to each other. Every second row of seats is left unoccupied.
- Every screening has only 30 tickets available.
- Follow new signage within the venues to manage flows of people safely.
- So, screenings will get booked up quicker than normal so in many cases you’ll need to book well in advance.
- New film programming is pretty limited as many film distributors are withholding film releases until its is more profitable to screen, eg until they can pack more people into screenings. Expect lots of reruns.
