French Film Festival | US Premiere screening of "Claude McKay, Wanderings of a Rebellious Poet"

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Exclusive US Premiere of the very first award-winning documentary on Harlem Renaissance and avant-garde poet Claude McKay...

As part of the fourth edition of the Princeton French Film Festival, you are invited to the US premiere screening of Claude McKay, Wanderings of a Rebellious Poet (2025), followed by a Q&A with actor and filmmaker Matthieu Verdeil.

🏆 Winner of the Prix de la Ville and Prix des Lycéens at the History Film Festival of Pessac, France.

Logistics: In French and English with English subtitles. Open to everyone upon registration (not suitable to young audiences).

Synopsis: At the crossroads of black literary consciousness and political struggle, Claude McKay’s ideas have laid the foundation for major literary schools of thought, including Negritude. Proud vagabond with both a bohemian lifestyle and strong political commitments, chameleon with a magnetic personality, he roamed the four corners of the globe: New York’s literary milieu, the Parisian aristocracy, Russia’s communist intelligentsia and the black diasporas in the port of Marseille. A huge range of playing fields where he forged bonds with some of the great names of his time, from George Bernard Shaw to W.E.B Du Bois, Trotsky and more. Sustained by his many and varied encounters and experiences on several continents, he developed a radical philosophy that was ahead of his time. Recounting the life of Claude McKay means recounting the life of a politically committed poet with a singular outlook.

Organized by the Princeton University's Princeton Film Festival organization. We thank our sponsors and partners for their support (complete list on our website). Open to everyone regardless of identity. All rooms are wheelchair-friendly and attendees can contact us at filmfestival@princeton.edu for special accommodations (preferably 48 hours before the scheduled event). Please be aware that pictures might be taken before, during, and after the event.

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Co-hosted with: Princeton Institute for International & Regional Studies, Program in African Studies, Program in Latin American Studies

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