Portrait of Jason

One December night in 1966, Shirley Clarke and her film crew captured the story of Jason Holliday, a black hustler and aspiring cabaret performer. In a room at Hotel Chelsea, Holliday tells tales of his past, and reminisces both the good and the ugly. His narration is filled with laughter and extravagance, as well as tears and tragedy. Clarke and the crew’s questions are included in the film, and as 12 hours of filming pass on, the questions grow more hostile and Holliday’s upbeat persona dials down into despair. The documentary is filmed in a cinema vérité style, but with Holliday’s complex and sometimes deceitful character, the audience is prompted to question what is real and what is merely a performance.

105 minutes 

Shirley Clarke 

English language