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A black and white, fantasy-like recreation of high-society gay men during the Harlem Renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. A wake is going on, with mourners gathered around a coffin. Downstairs is an elegant bar where tuxedoed men dance and talk. One of them has a dream in which he comes upon Beauty, who seems to reject him, although when he awakes, Beauty is sleeping beside him. His story and his visits to the jazz and dance club are framed by voices reading from the poetry and essays of Hughes and others. The text is rarely explicit, but the freedom of gay Black men in the 1920s in Harlem is suggested and celebrated visually.

Top Cast

  • Ben Ellison

    Ben Ellison

    Alex

  • Matthew Baidoo

    Matthew Baidoo

    Beauty

  • Akim Mogaji

    Akim Mogaji

    James

  • John Wilson

    John Wilson

    Karl

  • Dencil Williams

    Dencil Williams

    Marcus

  • Guy Burgess

    Guy Burgess

    Dean

  • Dublin James Wahlberg

    Dublin James Wahlberg

    Carlos

  • Harry Donaldson

    Harry Donaldson

    Leatherboy

  • Jimmy Somerville

    Jimmy Somerville

    Angel

Overview

A black and white, fantasy-like recreation of high-society gay men during the Harlem Renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. A wake is going on, with mourners gathered around a coffin. Downstairs is an elegant bar where tuxedoed men dance and talk. One of them has a dream in which he comes upon Beauty, who seems to reject him, although when he awakes, Beauty is sleeping beside him. His story and his visits to the jazz and dance club are framed by voices reading from the poetry and essays of Hughes and others. The text is rarely explicit, but the freedom of gay Black men in the 1920s in Harlem is suggested and celebrated visually.

Rating

5.0 / 10
24 Reviews
0 Popular

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