FILM SCREENING: CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T.JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS

CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T. JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS presented by AHF (AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION) and Black Public Media

Co-Directed by Rosalynde Le Blanc and Tom Hurwitz, CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T. JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS brings to life the

creative process that culminated in choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones’s tour de force ballet D-Man in the Waters, one of the most important works of art to come out of the AIDS crisis. In 1989, D-Man in the Waters gave physical manifestation to the fear, anger, grief, and hope for salvation that the emerging Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (both partners at the time) felt as they were embattled by the AIDS epidemic. As a group of young dancers in the present re-interpret the work, they deepen their understanding of its power – exploring what is at stake in their own personal lives in order to commit and perform it successfully. Through an extraordinary collage of interviews, archival material, and uniquely powerful cinematography, this lyrical documentary uses the story of this iconic dance to illustrate the power of art and the triumph of the human spirit.

About AHF | Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition

The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) is an affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The group was developed to create a coalition of Black-American cultural influencers and health advocates, that through the use of innovative, culturally relevant messaging and initiatives, are revolutionizing outreach to the Black American community and elevating the education and awareness of sexual health and wellness and bringing greater awareness to the social justice issues disproportionately impacting the health and wellness of Black Americans.

By empowering leaders in the Black community and developing sustainable partnerships, BLACC members and supporters speak directly to our community to encourage sexual responsibility and keep HIV/STD prevention and treatment at the forefront of the national African-American agenda.

About BPM

Black Public Media (BPM) supports visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. We develop, produce, and fund media content about the African American and global Black experience across a range of media platforms. Through professional development, talent cultivation, and content distribution, BPM equips Black and POC creators with the tools and resources to craft Black-centered content and share it with the world. In doing so, we aim to address historical, contemporary, and systemic barriers that have traditionally hindered the visibility of Black stories and Black storytellers. BPM envisions a public media landscape where Black people, stories, and voices are fully represented at all levels—ownership, management, production, distribution, and engagement.