The Bijou Film Center will offer four screenings of two Les Blank films. The program will open with a short film (it’s a surprise!), followed by the rarely seen feature whose recent release has been over 40 years in the making.

“A Poem Is A Naked Person” (1974, 2015): 90 minutes. Color. Directed by Les Blank. Cast: Leon Russell, Willie Nelson and George Jones. The trailer is here.

Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8 at The Bijou, 304 East Broad Street Richmond, VA.

Admission: $9. No advance tickets.

Show times: 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.

Beer, wine and soft drinks will be for sale.

About the feature film
Les Blank shot and edited “A Poem Is A Naked Person” over a couple of years (1972-74), while living in the Russell/Shelter Records recording studio compound in Oklahoma. Although it was shown a few times by non-profits to private audiences, the highly praised film wasn’t released, theatrically. Then, after the filmmaker’s death in 2013, his son Harrod Blank cut a deal with Leon Russell in order to re-master and finally release the 40-year-old film.

About the filmmaker
As filmmakers go, Les Blank (1935-2013) was an independent’s independent. His work frequently offers intimate glimpses into the idiosyncratic lives of people existing at the periphery of American society. Blank’s mostly short films have focused on Cajun, Mexican, Polish, Hawaiian and Serbian-American music and food traditions. As well as on Afro-Cuban drummers, Texas blues men, Appalachian fiddlers, flower children, and yes – gap-toothed women

For details about our past events, fundraising goals and long-term plans, visit our website at www.bijoufilmcenter.org.

Thank you for helping to bring the Bijou to Richmond.

Bijou Film Center Contacts:
For general inquiries, please send email to info@bijoufilmcenter.org
For membership questions, send email to members@bijoufilmcenter.org

Co-founder James Parrish: jtparrish@bijoufilmcenter.org
Co-founder Terry Rea: ftrea9@gmail.com