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Portrait of Jason + intro by Rikki Beadle-Blair + live poetry by Stanley Iyanu (15*)

Queer 60s

,Cinema 1
A black and white film still of a black man in a suit and glasses, wearing a feather boa

Charismatic gay club performer Jason Holliday talks about his life to camera in Shirley Clarke’s documentary, described by Ingmar Bergman as 'the most extraordinary film I’ve seen in my life.'

Edited down from a 12-hour shoot, Portrait of Jason comprises an interview with Black, gay nightclub performer Jason Holliday, talking directly to camera about his fabulous life, with occasional off-screen interjections and provocations by director Shirley Clarke and her partner, Carl Lee. 

A gifted raconteur, Jason’s tales of strife throughout his messy career – all laced with wit and expert comic timing – make for a constantly entertaining dialogue.

The film remains controversial for the techniques used by Clarke and Lee in interviewing Holliday. By the end, a very drunk Holliday becomes increasingly distressed by the questioning of Clarke and especially Lee, who berate him for his performative style and accuse him of lying. 

Portrait of Jason remains a powerful, provocative and challenging work.

Tagged with: Cinema Queer 60s

This screening will be introduced by (Dr) Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE, with live poetry by Stanley Iyanu.

Film information
  • Release year   1967
  • Country of origin   USA
  • Director   Shirley Clarke
  • Runtime   1hr 45mins

(Dr) Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE is a writer, director, composer, choreographer, designer, producer and performer who also hosts UK and Manchester Black Pride every year and is a committed mentor to a great many writers, actors, composers and directors.

Stanley Iyanu is a performance poet and writer from London. His spoken word poetry style has been described as having the “gentle power of a slow ocean building”. His poems have been published in the Poetry Society magazine, 14Poems, in international poetry journals and several anthologies. A multi-slam winner, he has performed across the UK for Apples & Snakes, BBC Radio London and the Cheltenham Literature Festival. His second book, the beautiful boys is out on September 24th 2026, published by Burning Eye Books.

Queer 60s

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.