Black Image Center and Black Revivalist are proud to present a night of black cinema made in the mid to late ‘60s. David Schickele’s 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒽𝓂𝒶𝓃 (1971) and Melvin Van Peebles’s 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝒫𝒶𝓈𝓈 (1967).

Set mostly in 1968, 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒽𝓂𝒶𝓃 is a part documentary, part imagined tale of a young Nigerian immigrant who relocates to San Francisco and tries to adjust to living in America as a black man. “The result is a vibrant snapshot of the nation's racial politics, from interracial romance to cross-cultural misunderstandings and countercultural joy.” The film was recently rediscovered and restored by the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and The Film Foundation. Milestone Films and Kino Lorber will be releasing the film on Blu-Ray and DVD next month.

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝒫𝒶𝓈𝓈 follows a black U.S. soldier stationed in France after receiving a promotion and three days leave from his base. He explores Paris and becomes enamored with a French white woman he meets at a nightclub. “Channeling the brash exuberance of the French New Wave, Van Peebles [in his feature film debut] creates an exploration of the psychology of an interracial relationship as well as a commentary on France’s contradictory attitudes about race”. The film is based on the director’s French-language novel, 𝐿𝒶 𝒫𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃.

Saturday, March 30th. Doors open at 6:30 pm, screening begins at 7:30 pm. 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒽𝓂𝒶𝓃, 73 mins. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝒫𝒶𝓈𝓈, 87 mins. There will be a 15 min intermission in between films.

$15 admission. Ticket link in bio.

Thanks to George Schmalz of Kino Lorber and Brian Belovarac of Janus Films for providing the restorations of 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒽𝓂𝒶𝓃 and 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝒫𝒶𝓈𝓈 for this event.

Program curated by Camm Harrison Flier by Mara Rubin.