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James Baldwin (1924–1987) completed his singular blend of memoir and film criticism, The Devil Finds Work, nearly 50 years ago, on November 19, 1975, at his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. In stunning prose, his book-length essay tells the story of how as a young boy, Baldwin awakened to what he calls “the cinema of my mind,” and under the tutelage of his teacher Bill Miller, learned to both delight in the power of storytelling while also challenging the lies American cinema tells about social realities. “Baldwin’s writing treats self, society, and art as a whole, to be argued with and lived with and loved all at once,” writes The Atlantic.
On the heels of the global Baldwin centennial celebrations in 2024, this six-night film series features films from 1932 to 1973 that Baldwin analyzes in The Devil Finds Work as well as documentary works about Baldwin’s life (1970-1985). Alongside the screenings, each program also features a live dramatic reading from The Devil Finds Work, placing the evening’s moving images in direct conversation with Baldwin’s incisive voice.—Public Programmer Beandrea July
