The Cool World

(Shirley Clarke, 1963, USA)
125mins, 16mm Projection

Shirley Clarke’s second masterpiece was the first production of legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman. Though Clarke’s film is billed as narrative fiction, its source material is mirrored reality, addressing escalating gang violence amid the Royal Pythons, a youth gang in Harlem. With an exceptional jazz soundtrack by Dizzy Gillespie and stunning black and white cinematography rich with the texture of a defunct New York, The Cool World represents the powerful voice of an underserved community that’s fighting to be heard.

The short film, “Bridges-Go-Round”, by Shirley Clarke (5mins) precedes the feature.

The Cool World print courtesy of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and Zipporah Films. “Bridges-Go-Round” courtesy of Milestone Films.