Poetic Justice

NYLFF kicks off with an outdoor screening of Poetic Justice to honor the late, great, Oscar-nominated filmmaker John Singleton. Casting 90s music superstars Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, and peppered with the poetry of Maya Angelou, Singleton’s follow-up to Boyz n the Hood merges the worlds of film, hip hop, and poetry to create a sensitive, hopeful depiction of black struggle, joy, and creativity: an undisputed cinematic classic and one of the quintessential films of its era.

Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice (Janet Jackson) writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha (Regina King) and Iesha’s postal worker boyfriend, Chicago (Joe Torry). Along for the ride is Chicago’s co-worker, Lucky (Tupac Shakur), to whom Justice grows close after some initial problems. But is she ready to open her heart again?