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Native Son

Directed by Pierre Chenal

Release: 1951
Runtime: 108
Country: Argentina
Language: English
Director: Pierre Chenal
Writer: Richard Wright
One of the most controversial novels of its day, Richard Wright's Native Son (first published in 1940) exposed the injustices of urban African-American life, witnessed through the eyes of Bigger Thomas, whose violent tendencies and moral confusion were the natural result of a lifetime of deprivation. In prison for murder and sentenced to death, Thomas reflects on the circumstances that led to his fate.
 
Kino Lorber presents a new restoration of the 1951 film version of the novel, directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Richard Wright as Bigger Thomas. It is presented in association with the Library of Congress, Fernando Martin Peña and Argentina Sono Film. Special thanks to Edgardo Krebs for his years of research into the making of Native Son, and for being a tireless champion of its restoration and re-release. 
 
The film is preceded by a special introduction by film historians Eddie Muller (Film Noir Foundation) and Jacqueline Najima Stewart (co-curator of Kino Lorber's Pioneers of African-American Cinema collection), courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.
 
About the Restoration:
When it was initially released in the U.S., Native Son was heavily censored by regional state/municipal censor boards where it played. A complete 16mm print of the original Argentinian release and an incomplete 35mm duplicate negative of the uncensored cut were combined for the current restoration, the most complete version of Native Son ever shown in the United States.

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Technical Info

  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Color: B&W

playdates

Venue City Date
AFI Silver Silver Spring 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
All Saints Cinema / Tallahassee Film Society Tallahassee 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Ambler Theater Ambler 1613019600February 11 - March 1, 2021
Arena Theater Point Arena 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Austin Film Society Austin 1600747200September 22, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Balboa Theatre San Francisco 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
BAM Rose Cinemas Brooklyn 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Belcourt Theatre Nashville 1601438400September 30, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Brattle Theatre Cambridge 1600920000September 24, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Bryn Mawr Film Institute Bryn Mawr 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Carolina Theatre Durham 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Cinema 21 Portland 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Cinema Detroit Detroit 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Cinestudio Hartford 1601524800October 1, 2020 - January 21, 2021
City Lights Cinemas Florence 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Cleveland Cinematheque Cleveland 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Coral Gables Art Cinema Coral Gables 1600660800September 21 - November 30, 2020
Countryfest Community Cinema Dauphin 1600920000September 24, 2020 - January 22, 2021
County Theater Doylestown 1613019600February 11 - March 1, 2021
Crandell Theatre Chatham 1601352000September 29, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Denver Film / Sie FilmCenter Denver 1601352000September 29, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit 1601870400October 5, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Downing Film Center Newburgh 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Film Society of Summit Summit 1603857600October 28, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Film Society of Summit Summit 1613970000February 22 - March 5, 2021
Fine Arts Theatre Asheville 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 26, 2021
Fine Arts Theatres Overland Park 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Guild Cinema Albuquerque 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Hiway Theater Jenkintown 1613019600February 11 - March 1, 2021
International Film Series Boulder 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Jean Cocteau Cinema Santa Fe 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Laemmle Theatres Los Angeles 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Lincoln Theatre Mount Vernon 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Lumiere Cinema Los Angeles 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Houston 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Museum of the Moving Image Astoria 1601006400September 25, 2020 - January 21, 2021
North Park Theatre Buffalo 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Olympia Film Society Olympia 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Oxford Film Festival Oxford 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Pickford Film Center Bellingham 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 21, 2021
Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center Patchogue 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 21, 2021
Plaza Theatre Atlanta 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Princeton Garden Theatre Princeton 1613019600February 11 - March 1, 2021
Red River Theatres Concord 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Row House Cinema Pittsburgh 1600660800September 21 - November 30, 2020
Sag Harbor Cinema Sag Harbor 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
SIFF Film Center Seattle 1600747200September 22, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Symphony Space New York 1603166400October 20, 2020 - January 22, 2021
The Cinematheque Vancouver 1602648000October 14, 2020 - January 25, 2021
The Grand Berry Theater Fort Worth 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
The Loft Cinema Tucson 1600660800September 21, 2020 - January 22, 2021
Time & Space Limited Hudson 1601956800October 6, 2020 - January 25, 2021
United Theatre Westerly 1601524800October 1, 2020 - January 25, 2021
UW-Madison Cinematheque Madison 1601438400September 30, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Winnipeg Cinematheque Winnipeg 1601438400September 30, 2020 - January 25, 2021
Zeitgeist Theatre Arabi 1600920000September 24, 2020 - January 25, 2021