VTIFF’s spotlight on the films of independent trailblazer Charles Burnett continues with To Sleep with Anger, a potent comedic drama about a middle-class African-American household in South Central Los Angeles facing a generational clash between the traditional rural values of the family’s Southern-born elders and the next generation’s urban mindset. Precipitating the conflict is Harry (played by Danny Glover in a towering performance), a friend of questionable repute from back home who shows up on their doorstep unannounced and quickly upends the fragile family dynamic. Burnett, who was born in Mississippi but grew up in Los Angeles, mixes realism with a healthy dose of Southern folklore, leading to a satisfyingly cathartic conclusion. ~LB
***Followed by an in-person Q&A with director Charles Burnett, recipient of VTIFF’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to American Cinema***
Thank you to UVM’s College of Arts & Sciences, Film & Television Studies Program and Humanities Center for assistance in bringing and hosting Mr. Burnett.