A good story can be endlessly reimagined. In this summer’s film series, Aspen Film and the AAM present three films that adapt classic literary works through a modern lens. These cinematic stories are infused with bold artistic expression, and ultimately reveal the human desire across time and cultures to make sense of our world. Each film stands as a unique work while connecting to larger allegories told from the ancient world through to the recent release of Native Son (2019), directed by AAM-exhibiting artist Rashid Johnson.

About the Film
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Rated PG-13
120 min
 

One of William Shakespeare’s most adapted plays, Romeo and Juliet receives an ultramodern treatment in this nineties classic, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Set in the futuristic urban backdrop of “Verona Beach,” Romeo meets Juliet while crashing a costume party, and the two then grapple with their feuding families in order for their love—and their lives—to survive.