Slam

Paolo Javier, poet and author of True Account of Talking to the 7 in Sunnyside, will be joining us for a poetry reading and special introduction on the Saturday October 7 screening.

Dir. Marc Levin. 1998, 100 mins. Restored DCP. With Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, Bonz Malone, Beau Sia. Set in the Dodge City section of Washington, D.C., Slam follows Ray (Williams), who hopes his poetry will allow him to find a way out of drug dealing. A time capsule that captures the crucial spaces of the era’s slam poetry scene, Marc Levin’s film includes a glimpsed poster of the iconic Nuyorican Café, appearances by poet Beau Sia, and the futurist soundscapes of poet, rapper, and musician Williams (who recently directed his own Afrofuturistic film Neptune Frost). Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and Caméra d’Or at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. 

Restored by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive in conjunction with Sundance Institute. Restoration funding provided by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sundance Institute, and UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.