Found 2 collections related to Experimental films -- United States

Sweet Love, Bitter is an independent movie, written, produced, and directed, in 1967, by Herbert Danska and Lewis Jacobs. The story is based on the novel Night Song, written by John Williams and inspired by the life of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. The black and white film starred Dick Gregory as the musician, along with Don Murray, Robert Hooks, and Diana Varsi. This interracial drama dealt with two contemporary American themes, the African American as the creative genius and the African American in American society. In addition, heroin addiction and an interracial love affair were themes addressed in this film. The Sweet Love, Bitter film collection consists of the screenplay entitled Night Song by Herbert Danska and Lewis Jacob (1963); a film proposal by Nat Hentoff, which was distributed to potential investors; Danska's and Jacobs's outline of the movie; and a budget estimate. Additionally, there is an outline of the third and final cut, a location list, five cue cards used by Dick Gregory during filming, and news clippings of advertisements and reviews. Documents relating to the controversy over control and cutting of the film complete this collection. less

The collection consists primarily of printed material used by Stephanie Black in researching the sugar industry in the United States and its treatment of the foreign workers who harvest the crop, for the film "H-2 Worker." Included are FBI files related to investigations of the United States Sugar Corporation, 1940s peonage petitions filed by the Workers Defense League, and internal FBI files of contractual agreement violations and abuses of individuals contracted to work in the program. These files were retrieved through the Freedom of Information Act. There is also documentation that the AFL-CIO initiated legal action against the sugar corporations, opposing their use of foreign workers for the available jobs and not American citizens, and the treatment of those hired to harvest the sugar cane. The newspaper clippings from the 1940s through 1990s present a view of the media's coverage of the U.S. sugar industry, along with national and regional public and political positions on the "H-2" guest-worker visa program. U.S. federal and state positions on farm/migrant workers, public response, and positions of individual politicians, both in the Caribbean and the United States are documented in the clippings. Also included are notes, transcripts of interviews, and copies of legal briefs prepared by the Farmworkers Justice Fund. The collection is arranged in alphabetical order. less