Rooted in the tropical underground of Los Angeles nightlife, WILDNESS is a documentary portrait of the Silver Platter, a historic bar in the MacArthur Park area that has been home for Latin/LBGT immigrant communities since 1963. With a magical-realist flourish, the bar itself becomes a character, narrating what happens when a group of young artists create a weekly performance art/dance party (organized by director Wu Tsang and DJs NGUZUNGUZU & Total Freedom) called Wildness, which explodes into creativity and conflict. What does “safe space” mean, and who needs it? And how does it differ among us? At the Silver Platter, the search for answers to these questions creates coalitions across generations.
Further reading (Download PDFs)
"Wildness" essay by Dean Spade (Make/Shift Magazine)
"WILDNESS" essay by Director Wu Tsang (2012 Whitney Biennial Catalog)
A Conversation between Director Wu Tsang and Co-Writer Roya Rastegar ("Some Things Considered" Catalog)