103 mins |
Rated
R
Directed by Mel Stuart
Starring Richard Pryor, Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, The Bar-Kays, The Staple Singers
RADICAL SOUL: BLACK POWER MUSIC & MOVEMENT
Wattstax is a landmark 1973 concert documentary directed by Mel Stuart, chronicling the historic benefit concert organized by Stax Records at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The event commemorated the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots, bringing together nearly 80,000 people from the predominantly Black Watts community and beyond for a day of music, solidarity, and cultural affirmation.
While Wattstax features electrifying performances by Stax’s biggest stars-such as Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, The Bar-Kays, and Albert King - the film is much more than a concert recording. It interweaves live music with candid street interviews, audience reactions, and scenes of everyday life in Watts, offering a vivid portrait of Black culture, pride, and the social realities of the early 1970s.
Get yourself in the mood and in the moment to explore L.A. Rebellion films during Chelsea Classics this Summer!
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RADICAL SOUL: BLACK POWER MUSIC & MOVEMENT
Wattstax is a landmark 1973 concert documentary directed by Mel Stuart, chronicling the historic benefit concert organized by Stax Records at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The event commemorated the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots, bringing together nearly 80,000 people from the predominantly Black Watts community and beyond for a day of music, solidarity, and cultural affirmation.
While Wattstax features electrifying performances by Stax’s biggest stars-such as Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, The Bar-Kays, and Albert King - the film is much more than a concert recording. It interweaves live music with candid street interviews, audience reactions, and scenes of everyday life in Watts, offering a vivid portrait of Black culture, pride, and the social realities of the early 1970s.
Get yourself in the mood and in the moment to explore L.A. Rebellion films during Chelsea Classics this Summer!
