Larry Clark's early film Tamu draws on two icons of black power, Malcolm X and Angela Davis.

In its portrait of a young African American man and woman in South Central Los Angeles who we follow as they move through the city thinking about racism and revolution, the famous words of Malcolm X reverberate throughout ‘We don't see any American dream. We've experienced only the American nightmare.'

TAMU begins with the Malcolm X quote, "We don't see any American dream. We've experienced the American nightmare." In the film, a young African American man drives through South Central thinking about revolution, Malcolm X, racism, capitalism, and war in Vietnam. Midway through, the film switches over to the thoughts of a young African American woman who is thinking about revolution and Angela Davis. TAMU touches on themes of crime, drug use, and revolution.

Director: Larry Clark

USA 1970, 16mm transferred to digital video, colour, 12 min


Available for research at UCLA