Chris Felver’s doc about Lawrence Ferlinghetti is a little rough around the edges, with jumpy editing and a tendency to wander away from the subject of the moment without adequate explanation, but it’s an engaging film all the same, featuring a wealth of archival footage, home videos, and photos. Sometimes these riches come at the expense of context, but the doc hits all of the main points of Ferlinghetti’s life and career, taking us from his childhood in France through his stint in the Navy, and finally his founding of City Lights Bookstore and Publishers in 1951, and the Howl trial, a decisive moment in his career in letters. Ferlinghetti is also a wonderful portrait of the man himself, and you can’t leave the screening without a sense of the man’s wit, warmth, and committment to the idea that politics and literature are inseparable — a proposition that has had enduring influence in San Francisco. Featuring interviews with a wide range of literary luminaries.
Trailer here.
