This article was written by Anne Ulseth
For the past eight years, the Capri has partnered with the MSP Film Society, Minnesota’s premier film organization and home to the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF). Each month, the Capri and MSP Film present First Thursday Films @ the Capri (which are free for Northsiders) and on April 14-16, the beloved theater is hosting five films as part of the 42nd MSPIFF. Tickets to First Thursday Films and MSPIFF are available at mspfilm.org or at the door.
At 7 p.m. on April 6, the First Thursday Films is The Woman King, a remarkable story of the Agojie, female warriors who protected their African Kingdom with unparalleled skills and fierceness. A post-show discussion will be led by MSP Film programmer, Craig Laurence Rice, with author and Professor of American Studies at Macalester College, Duchess Harris.
MSPIFF @ the Capri screenings begin with two documentaries by director Sam Pollard on Friday, April 14. At 5 p.m., Two Trains Runnin’, a feature-length documentary, narrated by Common, and featuring the music of Gary Clark Jr., pays tribute to a pioneering generation of musicians. The film cuts to the heart of our present moment, offering a crucial vantage from which to view the evolving dynamics of race in America. Named one of the best documentaries of 2017 by Rolling Stone magazine, Two Trains Runnin’was also honored with a Grammy nomination for Best Music Film (80 minutes).
At 7 p.m., Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes spotlights one of the most innovative drummers in music history. Accessing literally thousands of hours of footage and photographs, the filmis a rigorous and triumphant documentary about a legendary musician who often reinvented himself in a career that spanned over six decades (82 minutes).
At 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, MSPIFF @ the Capri features Totem, a 2022 family film. Ama, the daughter of two Senegalese asylum seekers, is a competitive swimmer growing up in Rotterdam. When her family’s home is raided, she escapes, lost in the city she thought she knew, until a giant magical porcupine comes to her rescue and gives her the strength she needs to save her family (93 minutes).
Next up at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 is 2023’s The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, a stunning and fresh take on Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s classic tale. “It has been a dream of mine to bring an adaptation of Frankenstein to film through the Black lens with a lead character as smart as my sister.” Director Bomani J. Story has done just that with The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (91 minutes).
The final MSPIFF @ the Capri film is Dusty and Stones at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 16. In this 2022 documentary, cousins Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi are a Country Western duo known as Dusty & Stones and hailing from an unlikely place, the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). They get their big break to come to Nashville to record and compete in a Texas battle of the bands. It’s a dream come true, until they’re confronted with some harsh realities (83 minutes).
The month closes with music. The Capri Glee! experience comes to a crescendo when the adult community choir, directed by J.D. Steele, presents its Spring concert at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25. The choir will be singing one of JD’s original compositions, and an eclectic mix of gospel, soul and funkified favorites. The joyful program will also feature performances by the Mill City Singers and the MacPhail Community Youth Choir. The concert is free but registrations are requested at thecapri.org.
The Capri is located at 2027 W. Broadway in North Minneapolis. For details and ticket info visit thecapri.org.
Capri Glee! is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.