In conjunction with the eponymous new exhibition, MOCA presents Marlon Riggs’s landmark documentaryTongues Untied(1989) alongside his experimental videoAnthem(1991). These films not only gave voice to the particular concerns of African-Americans at a critical moment during the AIDS crisis, but also influenced a generation of activist filmmakers to follow. The program is introduced by Jamillah James, Assistant Curator at the Hammer Museum. In 2012, James was part of the curatorial team forDirty Looks: On Location, a series that activated various spaces in New York that had previously been key sites in queer history. The event is part of the City of West Hollywood’sOne City One Prideprogramming.
"Marlon Riggs'sTongues Untiedrises above the 'deeply personal'—far above it—in exploring what it means to be black and gay. Angry, funny, erotic and poetic by turns (and sometimes all at once), it jumps from interview to confession, music video to documentary to poem." —Craig Seligman,San Francisco Examiner