Ailey (2021)
Releasing at July 23, 2021 in theaters
Documentary
Ailey is documentary film directed by Jamila Wignot. The film stars Alvin Ailey, Bill T. Jones, Judith Jamison and George Faison. The film primiered at January 30, 2021 on Sundance Film Festival.
In this special screening to mark Juneteenth, the life and work of genius choreographer Alvin Ailey take center stage. Charting his trajectory from dance student to globally lauded creative force to his untimely death from AIDS in 1989, this expansive documentary weaves in candid testimonials from the artist’s closest collaborators with breathtaking dance footage from his most revelatory work.
Growing up in rural Texas at a time when the classical ballet world seemed closed to Black artists, Ailey’s achievements seem all the more groundbreaking today, and just as relevant. Ailey—which premiered at Sundance earlier this year—showcases the continuing impact of his dance vision on contemporary artists through the brilliant work of today’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Equal parts a celebration of dance, a study on the power of Black creation, and a sobering look at the limitations of the closet, Ailey is the most exciting kind of biography: one that sees the world within and beyond its subject.[frameline]
Director: Jamila Wignot
Stars: Alvin Ailey, Bill T. Jones, Judith Jamison, George Faison