Laugh! Cry! Sing! Hear! Feel! Dance! Shout! Join us for this special screening of “Wattstax” in the bookshop with Screen B14. Wattstax was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The concert’s performers included Stax Records artists such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staples Singers, and more. The concert was filmed by David L Wolper’s film crew and was made into the 1973 film titled Wattstax. The film was directed by Mel Stuart and nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974. In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Screen B14 is a not-for-profit community cinema and film collective based in Kings Heath, Birmingham providing affordable and accessible screenings with a diverse programme of films from around the world. We provide exhibition space that champions Midlands filmmakers by exhibiting their work and support local independent businesses by partnering with them as host venues.

This event has a tiered ticket pricing so you can pay what you can afford.

This event is part of The Heath Bookshop Literature & Music Festival and is supported by National Lottery Grants Funding through Arts Council England.