Through late August, Arsenal is showing 12 African American Blaxploitation movies, from Melvin Van Peebles’ Black Panther-themed Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, credited with inventing the genre in 1971 and one of the first to include a funk/soul soundtrack (Aug 11, 21:30), to Gordon Parks’ 1971 classic Shaft (Jul 21, 19:30), as well as work by the director of more conventional crime fighter movies like Slaughter (Aug 1, 20:00) of 1972.
No blaxploitation retrospective would be complete without Pam Grier, whose first major film, 1972’s Cool Breeze (Jul 27, 21:30) was followed by memorable performances in Foxy Brown (Aug 1, 21:30) and, of course, Tarantino’s 1997 Jackie Brown (Aug 4, 21:00).
All showing in the original English.
Check website for repeat showings and full programme.
Blaxploitation, Jul 20-Aug 25 | Arsenal, Potsdamer Str. 2, Mitte, S+U-Bhf Potsdamer Platz