If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins returns after his Academy Award-winning picture Moonlight, further strengthening his visual and narrative craft with this timeless and moving work of cinematic poetry.

The heavily nominated film is an adaptation of a James Baldwin novel of the same name. Seen through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne), it follows her as she recalls the passion and trust that connected her to Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James), her fiancé and father to her unborn child.

The devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. With the unfaltering support of her family, Tish tries to clear his name before the birth of their child.

As with Moonlight, Jenkins is able to find beauty in the most unlikely places, while also portraying the rich contrasting layers of joy and anger from the original novel.

The film is graced by a rich atmosphere thanks to the amazing work of cinematographer James Laxton, and the lush award-nominated score from Nicholas Britell, channelling the sounds of 1970s Harlem.