Ferlinghetti - A Documentary Film
Lawrence Ferlinghetti turned 90 a couple weeks ago. He is the best-selling modern American poet and has been an influential figure on the American political landscape, speaking out for civil rights and the freedom of speech, for six decades.
We have been working with him on a film about his life for the past year and a half (less my hiatus during the election to do Campaign Photography for FiveThirtyEight).
The film premieres at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 28 and features: Dave Eggers, Dennis Hopper, Robert Scheer, Allen Ginsberg, Billy Collins, Bob Dylan, Gary Snyder, Kenneth Rexroth (more below).
View the Trailer below the fold.
You can find the Film Synopsis and Photo Archive on the website. Hope you enjoy!
Ferlinghetti puts Howl back on the shelf after winning his case, Ferlinghetti vs. the City of San Francisco, in 1958. The infamous censorship trial was a landmark case that launched the social rebellion of the Beats into national consciousness. By winning the trail, Ferlinghetti set a precedent that secured the First Amendment rights of publishing in this country and preserved the freedom of speech in literature.