Screening Sighting - "Story Of A Three-Day Pass"
Screening this Saturday, the 6th, at 3PM, at the Museum of Modern Art, here in New York City, for all you New Yorkers, or anyone planning on being in New York this weekend.The first of 2 feature films Melvin Van Peebles made before Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
The film is called Story Of A Three-Day Pass, Van Peebles's very first feature film from 1968, and the first feature-length film (on record) directed by an African American since Oscar Micheaux's last effort in 1948, The Betrayal.
The story goes... at the time, Van Peebles couldn't get work in the film industry in the USA, so, like many other African American artists did in those days, he went to Europe (France specifically), and directed his first feature (aka Story Of A Three-Day Pass) in France, with French money. Cue critical acclaim (both abroad and in the USA) and, eventually, he landed a job in Hollywood, and made his first and only studio film in 1970, titled, Watermelon Man.
Here's the trailer for Story Of A Three-Day Pass (it's incomplete, but there's enough there to give you some idea of what it's like). And if you're curious enough, and live in New York, give it a go. It's certainly not what I'd call a great film. It has its flaws. But, it's worth a look, if only to experience a somewhat more "tender" side of Melvin.
I agree--this film was far from perfect, but Melvin was the first to really get the guts to do his thing. Good or bad, he was determined to put his vision out there, and he did it, when no one else (Black anyway) visibly was. I give him respect for that alone.
I think MVP is over-rated, but, I still give him props for what he was able to accomplish. And, his fiery personality and can-do attitude are very inspiring to me.
But don't tell him I said any of that :o)