I first saw this film and have been entranced by it ever since i cant explain it it was like the first time i ever swam. Isaac juliens seminal work looking for langston 19892017 is the focus of two presentations opening in may. Artistically envisioned and lovingly done, looking for langston is an exploration of the life and consequences of late africanamerican poet langston hughes. Awardwinning british filmmaker isaac juliens film is both critically acclaimed and. Als went on to become one of the writers of the 1989 film, which is a lyrical exploration of the private world of poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist langston hughes 1902 1967 and. The film is inspired by the unexplored aspects of the life and work of the poet langston hughes 19021967. With ben ellison, matthew baidoo, akim mogaji, john wilson. A young art student befriends an elderly homeless man named bruce, who narrates the story of his life growing up as a young black gay writer during the harlem renaissance. A wake is going on, with mourners gathered around a. Isaac julien, i dream a world looking for langston at victoria miro, wharf road, london, united kingdom on 18 may29 jul 2017. A tribute to langston hughes, this film attempts to reclaim him as an important black gay voice in american culture. Looking for langston is a mood piece that gives a full flavour of what it is like to have lived a closeted and yet strangely public life as a black gay artist. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing looking for langston near you.
Looking for langston is a lyrical exploration and recreation of the private world of poet, novelist and playwright langston hughes 1902 1967 and his fellow black artists and writers who formed the harlem renaissance in the 1920s. British director isaac juliens looking for langston visually beautiful montage in black and white is labeled a mediation on langston hughes and the harlem renaissance it was a time when the black artist was in vogue but it is much more than that. He represented the unabashed energy of the cotton club and the. The film is part of black intimacy, which explores the ways in which black familial, romantic, and. The film is all about looking not just looking for some kernels of truth about the elusive essence of langston hughesbut also looking at the film is a luscious celebration of the black queer gaze. The award winning film, looking for langston, made in 1989, is a visually beautiful and lyrical exploration of black and white gay identities set in the harlem renaissance in new york of the 1920s and 1930s. It is impossible to tell hughes story without delving into the social atmosphere in which he thrived. Downstairs is an elegant bar where tuxedoed men dance and talk. The film is made so beautifully it worships the contibution the poet langston hughes made on this earth and also lends itself to celebrating the strength that other gay men and, hell, anyone on the outer should feel and be thankful for. The film is inspired by the unexplored aspects of the life and work of the poet langston. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, british artist isaac juliens lyrical looking for. Original footage of the cotton club in the 1920s, archival footage.
Gay black men in harlem in the 1920s experience freedom. Looking for langston 1989 posters the movie database. Part narrative, part polemical essay, part lyrical art film, part documentary on langston hughes. Patrick returns to san francisco for the first time in. I tried to make my clips capture how the film structured, which is scattered, artistic, symbolic, intense, fun, and confusing at times. The film reclaims and celebrates langston hughes as an important black gay voice in american culture. The film does not really follow any type of linear storytelling that the average movie viewer will expect. With ben ellison, matthew baidoo, akim mogaji, john wilson, dencil williams, guy burgess, james dublin, harry donaldson, jimmy somerville. Sexualites americaines postscript looking for langston. Download looking for langston torrent at torrentfunk. I dream a world looking for langston, an exhibition of newlyconceived, largescale and silver gelatin photographic works and archival material, will be on display at victoria miro. Looking for langston can best be describe as impressionistic film making. Looking for langston dvd bfi british film institute.
Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things. The film draws from the works of langston hughes played by ben ellison and james. Just click the edit page button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the synopsis submission guide. Isaac julien, i dream a world looking for langston at. View images of the exhibition and selected artworks. In one of his most important early works, isaac julien combines history and fantasy to conjure the world of his artistic and cultural ancestor langston hughes during the harlem renaissance. Looking for langston, is a lavishly illustrated, signed, limited edition book by the internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker, featuring newlyconceived photographic works in addition to storyboards from juliens seminal 1989 film, looking for langston, never before published contemporary polaroids and rare archival material. Looking for langston r 45min biography, drama 1 october 1989 usa a black and white, fantasylike recreation of highsociety gay men during the harlem renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. Looking for langston dvd the seattle public library. While some works focus on scenes from the completed film, the images also document the films making. It combines authentic archival newsreel footage of harlem in the 1920s with scripted scenes to produce a nonlinear impressionistic storyline celebrating black gay identity and desire during the artistic and cultural period known as the harlem renaissance in.
The black male body and the importance of looking for langston the black male body, of course, has historically been perceived as the bearer of a bestial sexuality in western culture. Julien came to prominence in the film world with his 1989 dramadocumentary looking for langston, gaining a cult following with this poetic exploration langston hughes and the harlem renaissance. I dream a world looking for langston a new exhibition focusing on the isaac juliens hugely significant 1989 film delves into what made this work such a landmark in africanamerican and queer studies, through a presentation of newly realised photographic works and rare archival material. This movie per julien is about desire, which has a cinematic toolbox that never doesnt work. Artistically envisioned and lovingly done, looking for langston is an exploration of the life and consequences of late africanamerican poet.
The film explores black, queer desire in a setting which has no clear time or place. In this lyrical and poetic consideration of the life of revered harlem renaissance poet langston hughes, film maker isaac julien invokes hughes as a black gay cultural icon, against an impressionistic, atmospheric setting that parallels a harlem speakeasy of. This exhibition presents a body of work that revisits his seminal film looking for langston 1989, a poetic documentary and homage to harlem renaissance poet langston hughes. Directed by julien while he was a member of sankofa film and video collective, and. On show will be the awardwinning and restored 16 mm film, accompanied by photographic work, that explore the fractured narratives of memory and desire.
Its hard to imagine a more perfect year for looking for langston to be restored to its full elegance. This film imagines the artistic community of 1920s harlem. Interspersing archival footage throughout the story, julien reimagines a lush world for gay men during the harlem renaissance. Looking for langston is a 1989 english film stars ben ellison, isaac julien, isaac julien, nadine marshedwards, nina kellgren, robert hargreaves, wayson jones, trevor mathison, peter spencer, derek brown, ronald bailey, matthew baidoo, akim mogaji, john wilson, dencil williams, guy burgess, dublin james, harry donaldson, jimmy sommerville, stuart hall. Faca parte do filmow e avalie este filme voce tambem. This stylish avantgarde film is a meditation on the work of acclaimed black poet langston hughes. Movies, tv, new releases, classics, foreign, hardtofind. With the poetry of essex hemphill and bruce nugent 19061987. The first film, released in 1930, staring paul robeson and the modernist poet h. It looks like we dont have a synopsis for this title yet. Looking for langston is not a mainstream film, but a short film, an avantgarde film, a gay film, and a black. Looking for langston is a lyrical exploration and recreation of the private world of poet, novelist and playwright langston hughes 1902 1967 and his fellow. It is a celebration of brave men, holding them up in an unapologetically heroic light.
Looking for langston a meditation on langston hughes 19021907 and the harlem ranaissance. He died in the late sixties, so the film flickers between the past and more recent. Looking for langston trailer asniff 2016 absurde seance. Notice the effeminate white tuxedoed man complete with a curl on his. Directed by julien while he was a member of sankofa film and video collective, and assisted by. Indeed, the prospect of viewing the film can be an offputting one, considering its competing narrative lines as documentary, reclamation of an aspect of black history, rumination on the aids crisis, or pure fantasy. One should read langston poetry and about his life before seeing it.
Isaac juliens seminal work looking for langston 19892017 is the focus of two presentations. Two prisoners in complete isolation, separated by the thick brick walls, and desperately in need of human contact, devise a most unusual kind of communication. To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the teddy awards, the film was selected to be shown at the 66th berlin international film festival in february 2016. This limited edition artists book, focuses on isaac julien and his seminal work looking for langston 19892017. Jul 20, 2017 the soundtrack to filmmaker isaac juliens powerful 1989 looking for langston is set for its first ever vinyl release. But, far from being intimidating, the film is viewable and can be enjoyed beyond the prejudices of. Soundtrack to isaac juliens 42 minute film, looking for langston. Oct 15, 2017 the museum of modern art moma in new york will screen isaac juliens 1989 film looking for langston on october 7th and 15th. A common theme i found throughout the film and the reading for this week was the idea of home and what that means for people. I dream a world looking for langston, an exhibition of newlyconceived, largescale and silver gelatin photographic works and archival material, will be on display at victoria miro 18 may 29 july. On the occasion of juliens exhibition of photographic works i dream a world looking for langston, at victoria miro until 29 july 2017, they discuss the genesis of the film, their shared love of langston hughes and the harlem renaissance, the works relationship to black gay desire, to aids and to questions of discrimination, and. Accomplished filmmaker and video installation artist isaac julien is wellknown for films like looking for langston 1989, a poetic treatment of gay black poet langston hughes and the harlem renaissance, and other groundbreaking studies of racial and sexual identity, voyages, and cultural displacement.
Jun 29, 2017 the film is all about looking not just looking for some kernels of truth about the elusive essence of langston hughesbut also looking at the film is a luscious celebration of the black queer gaze. Griffiths 1915 film the birth of a nation that introduced this archetypal figure of the black buck to. Shot in sumptuous monochrome looking for langston is a lyrical exploration and recreation of the private world of poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist langston hughes 1902 1967 and his fellow black artists and writers who formed the harlem renaissance during the 1920s. Nov 16, 2017 this feature is not available right now. Hilda doolittle, is a story of jealousy, passion, and racism that takes place in a nondescript european town. Looking for langston tweet in this lyrical and poetic consideration of the life of revered harlem renaissance poet langston hughes, awardwinning british filmmaker isaac julien invokes hughes as a black gay cultural icon, against an impressionistic, atmospheric setting that parallels a harlem speakeasy of the 1920s with an 80s london nightclub. Langston, white, loves black guys and has a lover called beauty. A special edition artists publication accompanies the exhibition. Isaac juliens classic 1989 meditation on desire, poetry, and the harlem renaissance still pulsates with urgency. A stylised and dramatised biography of the black poet langston hughes. With isaac julien in attendance, who let us know the 4dx future of looking for langston exhibition.
Looking for langston, by black british filmmaker isaac julien was shown at the. Revisiting isaac juliens stunning reimagination of queer. The film draws from the works of langston hughes played by ben ellison and james baldwin, among others, and provocatively imagines the speakeasies of the period as havens for the free expression of black gay culture and desire. Isaac julien looking for langston 1989 available for. The film reveals the expressive and suppressed story of gay culture in 20s and 30s new york through unexplored aspects of langston hughes life and work. Looking for langston is not a mainstream film, but a short film, an avantgarde film, a gay film, and a black british film. It is a something of a testament, both to the timelessness and necessity of isaac juliens 1989 film looking for langston as well as to the dearth of images of unapologetically queer and tender black male sexuality, that the work and imagery exhibited in the gallery space are still so rare. Directed by julien while he was a member of sankofa film and video collective, and assisted by the. A lyrical and poetic consideration of the life of revered harlem renaissance poet langston hughes. A black and white, fantasylike recreation of highsociety gay men during the harlem renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. The marion stokes project film the complete works of. The photographic works featured in the publication revisit and expand upon aspects of the film and its multilayered narratives of memory and desire, expression and repression. Isaac julien looking for langston galerie ron mandos artsy. Isaac julien invokes hughes as a black gay cultural icon, against an impressionistic, atmospheric setting that parallels a harlem speakeasy of the 1920s with a 1980s london underground nightclub.
We have looking for langston software torrents for you. A wake is going on, with mourners gathered around a coffin. Looking for langston dvd, 2007 for sale online ebay. Looking for langston 1989 is an homage by acclaimed artist isaac julien to langston hughes and the harlem renaissance. The soundtrack to isaac juliens looking for langston. By the time the british artist isaac juliens iconic short essay film looking for langston was released, in 1989, juliens ostensible subject, the enigmatic poet and race man langston. Fusing poetry hughess own, as well as poems by essex hemphill and bruce nugent with an archival exploration of the period in the 1920s when black artists and writers were in vogue with the harlem tastemakers of the day, looking for langston is more a dreamscape in black and white than it is a documentary on the period.
Isaac julien looking for langston the vinyl factory. One of them has a dream in which he comes upon beauty, who seems to reject him, although when he awakes, beauty. Borderline, directed by kenneth macpherson and looking for langston, directed by isaac julien are two films that would initially seem worlds apart. It combines authentic archival newsreel footage of harlem in the 1920s with scripted scenes to produce a nonlinear impressionistic storyline celebrating black gay identity and desire during the artistic and cultural period known as the harlem renaissance in new york. Hurricane bianca is a revenge comedy about a new york teacher who moves to a small town in texas, gets fired for being gay, and returns disguised in drag to get revenge on the people who were nasty to him. The harlem renaissance was in full swing when hughes found his voice. Released 1988, looking for langston stars ben ellison, matthew baidoo, akim mogaji the r movie has a runtime of about 45 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic, which put. Looking for langston received the teddy award for best short film at the 1989 berlin international film festival. Bruce recounts his friendships with such historical figures as langston hughes and zora neale hurston. Find release information for looking for langston 1988 isaac julien on allmovie.