4K restoration of Franco Rosso's Linton Kwesi Johnson doc premieres in NY

Film Forum in New York will host the U.S. theatrical premiere of a new 4K restoration of Franco Rosso's 1979 documentary 'Dread Beat an Blood,' a portrait of dub poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson. The screening, paired with the U.S. premiere of Roger Thomas's 'Linton Kwesi Johnson in Concert,' is scheduled for Friday, July 24. Johnson, a Jamaican-born, British-based artist, pioneered dub poetry—a militant, rhythmic verse form addressing Black liberation in Britain. The film captures Johnson in the recording studio, performing live, and protesting the imprisonment of Black Briton George Lindo. The restoration brings new clarity to this historically significant work.