Percival Everett

A jazzy ballet of vengeance set against Chicago’s towering skyline and deep shadows, this thrilling symphony of elevated action examines the edges of sovereignty, Machiavellianism and the indomitable human will.

In a small office cluttered with books and other detritus of the writer's life, filmmaker Alexandre Westphal and the writer Percival Everett explore his work. Archival images are projected onto the walls, invading the space and intermingling with Everett's text, to illuminate many of the myriad and fascinating ways that his books reveal contemporary America to itself.

“James” reframes the classic story of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of Jim, an enslaved man who floats down the Mississippi River with teenaged Finn, a good friend of Tom Sawyer. While many set-pieces from the original story remain in place in this re-imagining, Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.