Lessons of the Hour

Lessons of the Hour

2019 · 29 min · ★ 8.0 · History

Isaac Julien's visionary film Lessons of the Hour explores the incomparable achievements of Frederick Douglass, America’s foremost abolitionist figure. After escaping slavery in Maryland, Douglass gained prominence on the abolitionist circuit as an extraordinary orator, becoming the most photographed American of the 19th century. Julien’s project is informed by some of Douglass’s most important speeches, such as Lessons of the Hour, What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?, and Lecture on Pictures, the latter being a text that connects picture-making and photography to his vision of how technology influences human relations. Julien's work gives expression to the zeitgeist of Douglass’s era, his legacy, and the ways in which his story may be viewed through a contemporary lens. The presentation also includes photographs and tintypes produced in conjunction with the film.

Directed by Isaac Julien

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Cast

Ray Fearon Frederick Douglass
Cara Horgan Ottilie Assing

Make it a double feature

1h 9m together

Lessons of the Hour

Lina Bo Bardi — A Marvelous Entanglement

Both from Isaac Julien.

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