#344 - The Filmmakers of Ailey on Capturing the Spirit of a Legend

Film at Lincoln Center Podcast

This week on the Film at Lincoln Center podcast, we're featuring a special Q&A on Ailey, an affectionate portrait of the world-renowned dancer and choreographer, Alvin Ailey, with director Jamila Wignot, and producer Lauren DeFilippo. The two filmmakers discussed the new film with Liz Wolff, Co-Curator of the Dance on Camera Festival, following our outdoor screening at Lincoln Center’s Restart Stages. Ailey poetically examines how its subject’s fascinating life inspired his passion for dance, suffusing rare archival footage with Ailey’s own words, in addition to interviews with celebrated company dancers and choreographers. Beginning with Ailey’s early experiences in the rural South, which would eventually inspire some of his most memorable works, and culminating in the creation of a dance inspired by his life, this documentary captures the artist’s enduring impact on modern dance and the preservation of the African-American cultural experience with fresh insight. Ailey is now playing in our theaters, with special Q&As with the director, Jamila Wignot, on July 23 & 24 at the 6:15pm screenings. Go to filmlinc.org/ailey for more information.