Brooklyn Academy of Music Presents MARTINE SYMS' THE AFRICAN DESPERATE, Plus A Series Of Cinematic Influences

From September 9-15, acclaimed artist Martine Syms gathers together an eclectic group of films that influenced her debut feature, The African Desperate, for the series Martine Syms' Influences featuring indie classics, hidden gems by major directors, and avant-garde pieces by contemporary visual artists. The series leads into a run of Syms' The African Desperate opening at BAM September 16.

Bridging the worlds of contemporary art and film, The African Desperate follows 24 introspective yet wild hours in the life of Palace, a visual artist finding her way just after graduating from a predominantly white MFA program in upstate New York. This autobiographical story, starring Diamond Stingily and inspired by Syms' time at Bard College, satirizes the racism of the art world, tracing reactions to Palace's inclusion in the Venice Biennale and her very presence. Part comedy, part hallucinatory fever dream, part jaded rom-com, this extraordinary and singular debut is marked by Syms' celebrated command of the artistic conversation. Its extravagant visual style and bold editing redefine what's possible on the big screen-seeding even more for Syms to pioneer in her landmark, multidisciplinary body of work.

As an artist, Martine Syms has earned wide recognition for her practice combining conceptual grit, humor, and social commentary. She has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Modern. She has also done commissioned work for brands such as Prada, Nike, Celine, Kanye West, and NTS, among others, and is a recipient of the Creative Capital Award, a United States Artists fellowship, the Tiffany Foundation award, and the Future Fields Art Prize. She is in a band called Aunt Sister and hosts Double Penetration, a monthly radio show on NTS. She also runs Dominica Publishing.

Martine Syms' Influences Film Descriptions:

Girl 6 (1996) Dir. Spike Lee. An aspiring NYC actress-turned-phone-sex-operator struggles and slides between reality and fantasy in this 1996 Spike Lee joint with a soundtrack by Prince. 35mm. Fri, Sep 9 at 7pm

Working Girls (1986) Dir. Lizzie Borden. An immersive look at the rituals of sex work that boldly desensationalizes society's most stigmatized profession with an empathetic, humanizing, often humorous depiction of just another day at the office. DCP. Fri, Sep 9 at 9:30pm

Paprika (2006) Dir. Satoshi Kon. In Japanese and English with English subtitles. A therapist working under the code name "Paprika" intervenes when a machine that records psychiatric patients' dreams is stolen in this disorienting, imaginative, action-adventure, anime thriller. 35mm. Sat, Sep 10 at 8pm

Happy Together (1997) Dir. Wong Kar-Wai. + We hold where study (2017) Dir. Wu Tsang. Wong Kar Wai's newly restored, emotionally raw portrait of a relationship in breakdown screens with a short about Black, queer, and trans identities in motion by filmmaker and performance artist Wu Tsang. Sun, Sep 11 at 2pm

Go (1999) Dir. Doug Liman. Propelled by druggy momentum, quick wit, and three interwoven plots starring Sarah Polley, Jay Mohr, and Katie Holmes, this fast-paced crime comedy from the director of Swingers has earned a cult following. 35mm. Sun, Sep 11 at 4:30pm

Belly (1998) Dir. Hype Williams. Nas and DMX star in this paranoid millennial swirl of crime, money, power, and respect from director Hype Williams-an era-defining image maker, with his iconic music videos for Biggie, Tupac, and more. 35mm. Sun, Sep 11 at 6:45pm

Party Monster (2003) Dirs. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. In this true crime story focused on the "Club Kids" era and its extremes, Macaulay Culkin stars as infamous party promoter and convicted killer Michael Alig. 35mm. Mon, Sep 12 at 7pm

Os Mutantes (1998) Dir. Teresa Villaverde. In Portuguese with English subtitles. This drama about three teenage street children in Lisbon-who end up pregnant or exploited by a pornographer-reflects the late-90s reality of a broken juvenile system and features a mostly non-professional cast. 35mm. Mon, Sep 12 at 9:30pm

Hail the New Puritan (1987) Dir. Charles Atlas. + Deader than dead (2020) Dir. Ligia Lewis. A pairing of experimental films: Charles Atlas's 1987 hybrid fiction-documentary portrait of Scottish dancer-choreographer Michael Clark, and a 2020 short with masked performers by Bessie Award winner Ligia Lewis. Wed, Sep 14 at 7pm

Eve's Bayou (1997) Dir. Kasi Lemmons. Secrets and deceptions tear a wealthy Louisiana Creole family apart in Kasi Lemmons' Southern Gothic stew of sex, lies, and voodoo. 35mm. Thu, Sep 15 at 7pm.

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