Flirting with the conventions of blaxploitation and horror, Bill Gunn’s revolutionary independent film “Ganja & Hess” is a highly stylized and utterly original treatise on sex, religion, and African American identity. Duane Jones stars as anthropologist Hess Green, who is stabbed with an ancient ceremonial dagger by his unstable assistant, bestowing upon him the blessing of immortality... and the curse of an unquenchable thirst for blood. When the assistant’s beautiful and outspoken wife Ganja comes searching for her missing husband, she and Hess form an unexpected partnership. Together, they explore just how much power blood holds. This edition represents the original release, restored by The Museum of Modern Art with support from The Film Foundation.
Bill Gunn
William Harrison Gunn (1934-1989) was an American playwright, novelist, actor and film director. Gunn was a pioneer of black filmmaking, and in 1970 he became the second black filmmaker to direct a film for a major studio with his debut “Stop”, in which he also served as the film’s screenwriter, co-producer, and casting director. “Stop’s” controversial premise and X rating caused Warner Bros. to shelve the film, which remains unreleased to this day. His 1973 cult classic horror film “Ganja & Hess” was chosen as one of ten best American films of the decade at the Cannes Film Festival, 1973.
