Solidarity Cinema is a casually organized group of determined leftists who explore subversive ideology through film—most members are legitimate activists who are often busy doing other things, but still find it important to make time for screenings when they can. The group started in Chicago at the beginning of quarantine and have met intermittently since. They operate outside the bounds of traditional distribution and exhibition, showcasing revolutionary cinema through their website, a digital archive, and at some (socially distanced) in-person events.
“I think it’s bad in any given situation, [with] any organizing, to just assume you know what people want,” says J. Michael, referring to the expansion of the group’s programming. Indeed, by offering a wider array of ways for people to participate, they’ve adjusted to accommodate the interests of their members, who now total more than 500. The Solidarity Cinema website offers up films to people even before they join the list, with titles including Patricio Guzmán’s epic The Battle of Chile (1975–79), Chris Marker’s A Grin Without a Cat (1961), and Pratibha Parmar’s A Place of Rage (1991). J. Michael especially likes Jamaa Fanaka’s Emma Mae (1976); Fanaka was part of the L.A. Rebellion movement, alongside luminaries such as Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Haile Gerima, and Zeinabu irene Davis.
“That’s what film is really good about, is giving you not just a historical context, but a sensory context,” says Julia, “and I think that can be a big part of solidarity.”
