Wattstax
Mel Stuart / US, 1973 / 98 min.
Scintillating, groundbreaking documentary about the uplifting concert held to commemorate the Watts Riots seven years earlier featuring The Staple Sisters, Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes and Richard Pryor’s impressive monologues.
The tensions surrounding the 1965 Watts riots were still palpable in 1972. That year a major concert was organised to support the Afro-American community in Watts in Los Angeles who were subjected to structural ill treatment. The gig featured R&B, gospel and soul artists from the Memphis-based Stax Records including The Staple Sisters, Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Bar-Kays, Kim Weston, Albert King and Carla Thomas.
Eye on Sound screening to accompany the Everyday Blues film programme focused on legendary director Charles Burnett.
This is part of
Special screenings
Details
Director
Mel Stuart
Production year
1973
Country
US
Original title
Wattstax
Length
98 min.
Language
English
Subtitles
NONE
Format
DCP
Part of
Eye on Sound
With Eye on Sound, Eye focuses on the special relationship between image and sound. Expect live music to silent films, live bands from today to classics of yesteryear, brand new scores to films from the versatile Eye collection and special attention to the often neglected art of sound design.
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