Tonight two really great screenings at MoMa cinema. In one space Thurston Moore was introducing early David Bowie video's (bowie just donated his archive to moma)
While in the other space Melvin van Peebles showed one of his first movies and his last one.
I could only see one event.
Melvin is a legend; the real godfather of independent cinema in the US. He's a amazing figure. Biggest inspiration for all independent black or white filmmakers in this country. He moved to Paris because he couldn't have his films made in Hollywood. A Black man directing a movie in Hollywood at that time was not possible.
In France, Van Peebles learned the language and was hired to translate Mad magazine into French and then, with a his willpower, he started writing novels in french and did this incredible movie in 1968; story of a 3 day pass. (in french La Permission;
wiki quote;
In 1959 he went to Europe and worked for the Dutch National Theater before being invited to During this time in Paris he wrote a number of novels and made another short film, Cinq cent balles (1965). It was here that he made his first feature length film, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968), which caught the attention of Hollywood producers who mistook him for a French auteur. It was after the resulting bad experience directing The Watermelon Man (1970) for Columbia Pictures that Van Peebles became determined to have complete control over his next production, which became the groundbreaking Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), privately funded out of his own pocket and in part by a $50k loan from Bill Crosby Van Peebles not only directed, scripted, and edited the film, but wrote the score and directed the marketing campaign. The film, which ended up grossing $10 million, was, among many others, acclaimed by the Black Panthers for its political resonance with the black struggle.
So he worked in Holland as well....amazing. He speaks Dutch!
Too bad he didn't made a movie there.
Filmmuseum, Dutch film industry....Wake up!
This movie is super. It's really a American inspired by his generation of Truffaut/Godard. Has the same wit as those guys but from the point of view of a young black american. Amazing soundtrack by himself, great editing, great acting. Smart, funny, very political. Even has a very weird cameo of Topor, Cabu, Reiser,etc in it (The whole Charlie Hebdo gang )
I'm a fan now.
