Isaac Julien: Frederick Douglass: Lessons of the Hour

Lessons of the Hour is a poetic meditation on the life and times of Frederick Douglass. The three-screen film installation proposes a contemplative journey into Douglass' zeitgeist. In addition to allusions to Douglass' private and public milieus, the film includes excerpts from his most arresting speeches, including "Lessons from the Hour" and "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" The film also features "Lecture on Pictures," connecting picture-making and photography to Douglass' vision of the influence of technology on human relations.