Film
Love Jones
- 7PM
The only feature to date from writer-director Theodore Witcher is a wonderfully smart and sexy romantic comedy set against the backdrop of Chicago’s jazz and poetry scene. Propelled by the electricity between leads Nia Long and Larenz Tate (a world away from his turn as O-Dog in Menace II Society) and studded with nods to Black artists and intellectuals (the poetry is by Black Arts Movement icon Sonia Sanchez), Love Jones is the ultimate Black romance.
Be Reel Black Cinema Club’s Stephanye Watts and Alfreda’s Cinema’s Melissa Lyde will introduce a screening of a new 4K digital restoration, supervised by Witcher.
“Theodore Witcher's Love Jones has stood in defense of Black love since its 1997 release. In capturing this sultry romance, Witcher inspired hope and insured our long-lasting place together. After more than 25 years, those who grew up only watching it on TV, who can recite its poetry, and who remain emotionally intertwined with the film after multiple viewings, may very well be watching it for the first time in a cinema.
Love Jones is lore. Initially a hidden gem, its cult grew after its first run and continues to resonate because it’s one of the only films by a Black filmmaker to reflect a vulnerable interpretation of Black people falling in love, frightened by it, and fighting for it.”
—Melissa Lyde
Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation.
Leadership support for BAM Film provided by the Ford Foundation and The Thompson Family Foundation
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