FILM SERIES
Working Class Musicals
Economic woes transform into spectacular song and sweeping dance numbers in this series of musicals about working class heroes, coming to BAM this Labor Day weekend. A genre frequently associated with escapism and fantasy, these films from across the globe highlight the struggles, loves, and lives of the proletariat. From the French auto shop setting of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, to the labor action amongst the paperboys of Newsies, to a jazz musician’s struggle for Black liberation in Passing Through, they use the unique interplay of song, dance, and cinema to bring class-conscious stories front and center.
An umbrella merchant and a mechanic fall in love in this pop-art musical from Jacques Demy.
Chantal Akerman's delightfully daring feminist musical set in a shopping mall.
Newsboys go on strike in this Disney-fied look at labor relations in 1890s NYC.
Judy Holliday and Dean Martin fall in love in this eccentric musical comedy.
Steven Spielberg crafts a brilliant new vision of this beloved American musical.
New York’s Upper West Side is a battleground for two warring gangs in this beloved musical.
Two Australian teens ditch their family’s failing business to chase punk-rock fame.
An exhilarating lost classic and one of the all-time great jazz films.
A Peruvian domestic worker dreams up extravagant musical fantasies in this heartfelt gem.
Nine working-class Irish kids strive to become soul singers in this 90s cult classic.
Busby Berkeley’s dance sequences mix with economic woes in this Depression-era classic.
Guru Dutt’s Hindi musical about a politically-minded poet is a highlight of Indian cinema.