Super Fly

“Super Fly” (1972) screens as part of Bookends of Black Cinema: The Classic and the Cult, a two-day, two-film retrospective exploring notable works from across the spectrum of Black cinema.

Directed by Gordon Parks Jr., “Super Fly” follows Priest (Ron O’Neal), a suave top-rung New York City drug dealer looking to get out of the game. Working with his reluctant friend Eddie (Carl Lee), Priest devises a scheme to make one last big deal before retiring for good. When a desperate street dealer tips off the police, Priest finds himself in an uncomfortable arrangement with corrupt narcotics officers and sets his plan in motion to leave the business and stick it to the man.

Each screening in the series is followed by a panel discussion moderated by Ale Duckenfield-López and featuring Josiah Howard, author of “Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide.”