Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM
2220 Arts + Archives, Los Angeles
Lightstruck presents PASSING THROUGH: A Film by Larry Clark. A singular work of independent cinematic expression, Larry Clark’s 16mm feature *Passing Through* (1977) is a film inspired by and intertwined with the history, culture, and language of jazz as an African-American art form. In its dynamic structure, deep humanism, and bold experimentation, Clark’s filmmaking seems to embody and channel the very essence of American jazz as a fundamental Black art, an ecology of African-American identity and history that defies white cultural hegemony through struggle, resistance, collectivity, and creativity. The result is a massively self-assured and radically independent work of integral vision, embodied by both Clark and his collaborating crew, which included filmmakers Julie Dash and Charles Burnett. Dedicated “to Herbert Baker and other Black Musicians known and unknown,” the film follows Eddie Warmack (Nathaniel Taylor), a jazz musician recently released from prison, as he navigates a Los Angeles revealed as site of both community liberation and the ongoing violence of exploitation. The film’s daring and experimental visual language palpably expresses a heightened subjectivity and emotionality, as well as proposing a radical formal style that challenges the predictable cinematic grammar of much commercial cinema. Featuring music from Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, Clark’s film charts a sharply rendered and deep-hearted journey for its protagonist as he passes through the realm of the mythic while also remaining grounded in vivid reality. In keeping with Clark’s ideological motivations, *Passing Through* is intended for viewing only in a communal theatrical setting, where its resonant energy and ideas can best communicate with and engage the assembled audience. Lightstruck is deeply honored to be able to share this unforgettable film with you, with immense thanks to and admiration for the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Larry Clark himself. ∆ Lightstruck presents: *Passing Through* (1977) Directed, produced, and edited by Larry Clark Written by Ted Lange and Larry Clark 16mm, bw & color, 111min. 16mm print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Larry Clark ∆ Program by Zena Grey and Mark Toscano. Notes by Mark Toscano. Huge thanks to Larry Clark for his support and trust, and to Todd Wiener and Steven Hill at UCLA Film & Television Archive.