P.O.V. - Wattstax

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P.O.V. brings back the cult favorite "Wattstax," the 1973 documentary directed by Mel Stuart. In August 1972, seven years after the Watts riots, the legendary Stax recording label staged a benefit concert in Los Angeles for 90,000 people. As time went by, it became known as the Black Woodstock. | Read the synopsis »

Encore: Aug. 9, 2005 at 10PM | Check for Rebroadcasts

"'Wattstax' takes a look at how African-Americans felt about everything from love, sex, culture and politics to where we were at that time in the American drama."
—Mel Stuart

Read more in the
Filmmaker Interview »

WATTSTAX, 1972

Read what was written about the Watts Summer Festival and the Wattstax concert by the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone magazine. »

Photo: Concert-goers show off their Wattstax fashions

WATCHING WATTSTAX

We asked three cultural critics and historians to explore the deeper currents in the music, language, politics, humor and style of "Wattstax" and to reflect on what the film has to tell us today. »

Share your reactions to "Wattstax" with us: talk about the film with other viewers. Were you at Wattstax? Tell us about it!

P.O.V. > Wattstax: Film Update | Special Features | Behind the Lens | Talking Back
Resources | About the Film

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