Directed by Shirley Clarke • 1961 • United States
Starring Warren Finnerty, Jerome Raphel, Garry Goodrow
Shirley Clarke made a splash—and ignited a landmark censorship case—with her controversial feature debut, an innovative adaptation of Jack Gelber’s off-Broadway play in which the line between documentary and narrative breaks down as a group of junkie jazz musicians crawl the walls while waiting for their next fix. With its restlessly kinetic camerawork, flavorful Beat dialogue, and cool jazz score by pianist Freddie Redd, THE CONNECTION is a groundbreaking depiction of drug addiction and one of the most vital and influential works of the American independent film movement.
Up Next in Directed by Shirley Clarke
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Portrait of Jason
Directed by Shirley Clarke • 1967 • United States
Starring Jason HollidayOn the night of December 2, 1966, Shirley Clarke and a tiny crew convened in her apartment at the Hotel Chelsea to make a film. For twelve straight hours, they filmed the one-and-only Jason Holliday as he spun tales, sang,...
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Ornette: Made in America
Directed by Shirley Clarke • 1985 • United States
Starring Ornette ColemanThis freewheeling documentary captures Ornette Coleman’s evolution over three decades. Documentary footage, dramatic scenes, and some of the first music-video-style segments ever made chronicle his boyhood in segregated T...
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Dance in the Sun
Directed by Shirley Clarke • 1953 • United States
Director Shirley Clarke’s first film displays the dancing expertise of choreographer Daniel Nagrin as he performs in a studio and in the sun. Drawing upon her own dance training, Clarke fluidly follows Nagrin as he moves across the interior and e...
