Looking for Langston

An exploration of the world of poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright Langston Hughes, during the cultural movement known as the "Harlem Renaissance" in the 1920s. The lighting and use of black-and-white, enhanced by sculptural smoke effects, give the film a lyrical, almost dreamlike quality, introduced from the outset with a staged wake for Langston himself, attended by other artists from the movement. A pervasive sense of yearning and loss lingers throughout, as the film contemplates the experience of being both black and homosexual—silenced and misunderstood.