Requiem for a Dream

In the black civil rights movement and gays' political battle, the artistic means of comedy and stylised overdrawing were developed into hard-hitting weapons. The Blitz Cinema section of the programme presents outstanding film works by contemporary witnesses and protagonists of the scene that deal with the cultural identity of African-Americans, subcultural movements like rap and Afro-punk, biographies of transsexuals in pop culture, and the "golden age" of gay New York before the advent of AIDS.

Requiem for a Dream

D: Darren Aronofsky, USA 2000, 97 min, Germansubtitles

This film tells of the decline of four drug addicts in Brooklyn – in very gloomy colours and with innovative techniques, including editing synchronised to hip-hop rhythms. Recordings by the Kronos Quartet and techno beats pervade the minimalist score by Clint Mansell.

Supporting film: Killkillkill (from the Latino Poets Speak Out series), D: Renata Gangemi & Ruben Gonzalez, USA 2005, 5 min, OV