CULTURE, CLASS, AND STYLE: THE POLITICS OF IMAGE film series is organized in conjunction with the Modern's exhibition Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic. Tickets are $9, $7 for Modern members, and $6 for Reel People members. Tickets are available for purchase online or in person at the Modern admission desk beginning October 1.

 

 

Friday, October 30; Late Night! 10:30 pm

 

"The show itself is a revelatory spectacle, a microcosmic gathering of contemporary black America in a Brooklyn back street. They're not just watching Chappelle, but celebrating themselves." Desson Thomson, The Washington Post.

 

"And while Chappelle has said that he was merely staging the concert of his dreams, the combination of elements assembled by the comedian - music with lyrics steeped in black resistance and triumph; personas spun from nationalistic politics; images spanning kufi to 'fro to beads and ankhs - suggested what he was really after was a hip-hop replication of the crackling black consciousness that had defined Wattstax, the landmark 1972 benefit concert frequently referred to as the black Woodstock." Ernest Hardy, L.A. Weekly.

 

A genuine crowd-pleaser, Dave Chappelle's Block Party spotlights comedy superstar Dave Chappelle as he presents a Brooklyn neighborhood with its very own once-in-a-lifetime free block party. The unprecedented combination of comedy and music was shot on location. In addition to Chappelle, the stellar roster of artists includes Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, the Roots, Cody ChesnuTT, Big Daddy Kane, and the reunited Fugees.

Michael Gondry, 2005; 111 minutes; R

 

 

Saturday, October 31; 11 am

 

"Amma Asante's powerful, moving and gently subversive romantic melodrama is a finely wrought tale of a woman out of time, a film that plays eloquently upon the heartstrings as it interweaves familiar personal intrigue with stirring social history." Mark Kermode, Observer.

 

Inspired by historic characters and events, Belle tells the story of the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay who is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield and his wife. Her lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing. After meeting an idealistic young vicar's son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.

Amma Asante, 2013; 104 minutes; PG

 

 

Saturday, October 31; 2 pm

 

"It's true that satire is the perfect weapon of reason, and Justin Simien deploys it with resourcefulness, cool assurance and eagle-eyed aim." Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post.

 

Winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival's Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, Dear White People is a sly, provocative satire of race relations in the age of Obama. Writer/director Justin Simien follows a group of African American students as they navigate campus life and racial politics at a predominantly white college in a sharp and funny feature film debut that earned him a spot on Variety'sannual "10 Directors to Watch."

Justin Simien, 2014; 108 minutes; R

 

Introduction by Cary Darling, the entertainment, arts, and pop culture writer at the Star-Telegram and DFW.com for more than a decade. Previously, he was an arts editor at the Miami Herald and the Orange County Register in Southern California. He began his career covering pop music for such publications as Billboard, the Los Angeles Times, and Bay Area Music magazine.