Linton Kwesi Johnson: Dread Beat an Blood - New York Premiere of 2K Restoration at BAM
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Dread Beat an Blood
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Film by Franco Rosso (1979)
Born in Jamaica, poet, reggae artist, and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson(LKJ) moved to England in 1963, and by the late 70s attained iconic status with his robust voice, passionate activism, and fervent verse set to heavy dub. Marking the 50th anniversary of Johnson’s groundbreaking 1975 eponymous poem, the potent documentary portrait Dread Beat an Blood by Franco Rosso—director of the incendiary Babylon, which screened at BAM Rose Cinemas in 2012, 2019 and 2024—comes to the Steinberg Screen in a beautiful new restoration from the original 16mm elements by the British Film Institute.
After the screening, Johnson takes the stage in person, reciting his poetry in his first US theatrical appearance in close to two decades. More than a timely retrospective, this singular event celebrates a militant artist still raising his voice for justice.
Evening curated by Gabriele Caroti
New York Premiere of Restoration
A Seventy-Seven film
For tickets and more information visit bam.org/lkj