A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.

At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, and love, Moonlight is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Anchored by extraordinary performances from a tremendous ensemble cast, Jenkins’s staggering, singular vision is profoundly moving in its portrayal of the moments, people, and unknowable forces that shape our lives and make us who we are. Moonlight is inspired by Tarell Alvin McCraney’s story In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. 2016, DCP, 111 minutes.

Copresented by Tru Ruts.

A conversation between E.G. Bailey and Marion McClinton, moderated by Terrion Williamson of the University of Minnesota, follows the screening.

About the Speakers

E.G. Bailey is an Ivey Award–winning spoken word artist, thespian, filmmaker, and producer. He is the cofounder of Tru Ruts Endeavors and the MN Spoken Word Association. Bailey’s latest work includes the co-curation of America Now!, a film project taking place during the 2016 Tampere Short Film Festival in Finland. He is currently directing a new film titled New Neighbors.

Marion McClinton is an acclaimed theater director and playwright who has directed works including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Broadway revival), King Hedley II (Broadway, Tony nomination) and Two Trains Running (Center Stage). McClinton is an associate artist of Center Stage, where his recent productions have included Les Blancs and Splash Hatch on the E Going Down. In 2014 he directed the Dowling Studio’s presentation of Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet by Tarell Alvin McCraney, and in 2012 he directed McCraney’s The Brothers Size.

Dr. Terrion Williamson is an assistant professor of African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota, where she is also jointly appointed in American Studies and Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies. Her research and teaching focus on contemporary African American literature, black feminist theory, black cultural studies, and racialized gender violence. Williamson’s first book, Scandalize My Name: Black Feminist Practice and the Making of Black Social Life, was recently released by Fordham University Press.