Film: Personal Problems

Bill Gunn: A Retrospective
Saturday, 7/5/2025
1:00 - 4:30
Koret Auditorium
Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

415-557-4400

Marriage is complicated, and doubly so for Harlem nurse Johnnie Mae Brown, the nurse at the center of this 1980s “meta soap-opera” about the drama of everyday life. With a grainy early video aesthetic, and a cast of original characters (no tokens here), this underseen gem will surprise and beguile you. Written by Ishmael Reed and directed by Bill Gunn.

NR, 165 mins., 1980. Closed Captions (CC) in English.

 

This screening is part of a three-part Bill Gunn series in July. Join us for the other two:

Film: Ganja & Hess, Thursday July 10th

Activity: Drawing From Film: Ganja & Hess, Saturday July 12th

Film & Video

Watch party and film discussions. 

More Than a Month: Black Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Black community.

More Than a Month recognizes important events in Black history, honors community and national leaders and fosters steps towards collective change. Programming features authors, poets and craft classes. 

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

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