James Baldwin Abroad

Monday, October 21, 2024 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM EDT
the CenterStage, 2310 Colts Neck Rd, Reston, VA

As part of the Washington West Film Festival and Baldwin100-Watches, the Reston Community Center presents an evening featuring three short films that showcase James Baldwin and his keen observations about America.

Baldwin in Istanbul, by Sedat Pakay, 1965.

“James Baldwin: From Another Place” (1973)

This film was shot in Istanbul and finds the author discussing his work, sexuality and complex feelings about the United States.

“Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris” (1970)

This short film has been preserved by the Yale Film Archive with support from the National Film Preservation Foundation. Returning to Paris, James Baldwin discusses the contradictory manners in which revolutions (French, Colonial, Black American) are portrayed and discussed.

“Baldwin’s N*****” (1968)

James Baldwin and comedian Dick Gregory speak to a group of radical West Indian students in London about everything from the state of the civil rights movement to the perils of false consciousness.

Stay afterward to hear a lively discussion of the films with George Mason Distinguished University Professor Dr. Keith S. Clark.

With special thanks to Paul Douglas Michnewicz, Director of Arts and Events, Reston Community Center, and Cindy Badilla-Meléndez, Music, Film Studies, Video Collections Librarian, George Mason Libraries.