The Cry of Jazz

In the organizer's words:

Edward O. Bland, US 1959, 34 min, English OF

'The Cry of Jazz' was made in 1958 as a no-budget project by a small group of young black intellectuals who were tired of leaving the interpretation of jazz to white "experts". Like in the setting of a Brechtian didactic play and unusually controversial, a multi-ethnic group discusses questions of cultural appropriation. The essayistic part of the film tells the story of jazz and its elementary and exclusive significance for black identity in the USA. The music of early Sun Ra is accompanied by documentary footage of Black life in Chicago. The 1959 premiere poster reads: "See the most controversial film since 'Birth of a Nation'". The discourse dealt with here is surprisingly topical and can easily be related to contemporary pop music genres.

The film will be projected twice, followed by DJ Argumentepanzer playing modern jazz!