The Radical Dreams/Underground Sounds collection of films, curated by New York festival and club night dweller, will be streamed throughout February by The Criterion Channel. The 13-film series comprises documentaries and experimental films exploring Black musical technology and imagination, as well as “saluting the dance floor as a site of Black joy, protest, personal transformation, & ecstatic communal liberation.” dweller was established to celebrate the Black roots of electronic dance music, including the musicians, producers and DJs responsible for its global diffusion.
The presentation includes Josell Ramos’ Maestro, a 2003 documentary about Paradise Garage and The Loft, iconic nightclubs featuring influential figures including Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan. Another essential work is The Last Angel of History, a feature-length documentary from 1996. This 45-minute movie looks at Afrofuturism, a vision connecting displaced Black cultures with science-fiction aesthetics. Exhibitionist, Purpose Maker Mix by Jeff Mills rounds out the collection – a 45-minute stream of the Detroit producer performing a live mix across three turntables.
The Radical Dreams/Underground Sounds selection will be available exclusively to US and Canadian viewers of The Criterion Channel. dweller has not yet confirmed when the recently-announced Berlin edition of the festival, initially scheduled for this year, will take place. The event was cancelled due to strikes in Germany’s cultural sector against the treatment of those speaking out against genocide linked to Palestine.
Full schedule details for Radical Dreams/Underground Sounds are available on The Criterion Channel site, where the collection is available to subscribers
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