Julius Eastman

Meredith Monk's "Ellis Island" is a haunting, reflective piece on Ellis Island and the immigrants who passed through there.

The Third Part of the Third Measure creates an encounter with the militant minimalism of black avant-garde queer composer, pianist and vocalist Julius Eastman. The film focuses on what The Otolith Group describe as ‘an experience of watching in the key of listening’, invoking political feelings of defiance and the collective practice of movement building that participates in the global struggles against neoreactionary authoritarianism. The Third Part of the Third Measure invites viewers to attend to exemplary ecstatic aesthetics of black radicalism that Eastman himself once described as ‘full of honour, integrity and boundless courage’.

Ngbanzo’s directorial debut is the first documentary devoted to the life and work of the late composer, pianist, singer, and pioneer of musical minimalism Julius Eastman. Previously unseen interviews and recordings from Eastman’s archive reveal the political dimension of Eastman’s practice, while extensive footage of Devonté Hynes rehearsing and performing a selection of Eastman-penned pieces offers an exhilarating showcase for the work of this still-too-little-known 20th-century master.

African American composer Julius Eastman’s music and voice take turns. Sparked by colonial and life history. Raw, radical, crystal clear. A multipart, flashy, transnational-collective performance by six artists. An homage.