Dreams Are Colder Than Death

Noted cinematographer Arthur Jafa (Daughters of the Dust, Crooklyn) poses a question in his new essay film, “What does it mean to be black in the 21st century?” His respondents include filmmaker Charles Burnett, former Black Panther Kathleen Cleaver, writer Fred Moten, and artist Kara Walker. But this is far from a conventional “talking heads” doc, as the intensity and thoughtfulness of the answers are placed separately against Jafa’s evocative and sometimes digressive imagery of modern blackness. We’re honored to have Jafa visit the Wex to present his new film, along with other works, and to discuss his innovative perspective on black independent filmmaking. (52 mins., DCP)