USA / 1973 / 103mins / Documentary, Music / English

Wattstax is a documentary about the epochal 1972 concert in Los Angeles (sometimes called the “Black Woodstock”), seven years after the Watts riots, which celebrated survival and a renewed hope for the future.

Mel Stuart

Mel Stuart, born Stuart Solomon in September 1928, was an American film director and producer. He directed the fantasy-musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), as well as other features, including If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), One is a Lonely Number (1972) and Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135 (2000). Stuart also directed feature documentaries, including Four Days in November and Wattstax. He directed and produced more than 180 films over the course of his career and was awarded four Emmy awards, an Academy Award nomination, a Peabody, among numerous other awards. Stuart also served as president of the International Documentary Association for two years. He passed away in August 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. Learn More