The Friends of the Cabildo 2022-2023 Film Series at the New Orleans Jazz Museum

A Little Piece of New Orleans & Southern Louisiana

Southern Louisiana and New Orleans, collectively holds one of the most diverse, and rich, of cultural histories among all the regions of the good old USA. Here, we have a unique blending of cultures from Creole and Cajun to the French and Vietnamese. Whatever it may be, our community wears its diversity and history with pride, and as we all know, we love to celebrate these rich cultural attributes. Friends of the Cabildo, a local nonprofit, works to join in this celebration and preservation of our history and culture, and this year, they will be showing a six-film series at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old US Mint, uncovering some of our iconic cultural traditions, tragedies, and the core of what makes this region so unique. Join us to share in a little piece of New Orleans and Southern Louisiana.

Film Showing Details

Throughout the coming year from August 2022 until April 2023, the Friends of the Cabildo Film Series will be sharing a slice of our own cultural history. The series includes six documentaries focused on traditions like Jazz Fest & Second Lines, the music that keeps us dancing, and tragedies that have shaped us into who we are. Each screening begins at 6:30pm and is followed by educational talks and a Q&A, all at the Old US Mint inside the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Tickets can be purchased individually for $15 for non-members or $10 for members of Friends of the Cabildo. Tickets for the entire film series are also available for $50 for members and $75 for non-members. Feel free to check out all ticket options and learn more about the event here. The films that will be shown for the 2022-2023 series are down below, along with the date of each showing.

Big Charity: The Death of America's Oldest Hospital - August 24, 2022

Following the humble beginnings of New Orleans' Charity Hospital till its tragic, and abrupt, demise in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Big Charity uncovers the sacrifice of a force of hope within a community, along with the trials, tribulations, and healing in the aftermath of such. The film features never-before-seen interviews and footage that sheds light on the painful process of progress.

City of a Million Dreams - September 28, 2022

Jazz Funerals and Second Lines hold a more than interesting juxtaposition of sorrow and celebration in the wake of someone's passing, and City of a Million Dreams explores this balance more deeply than ever been done before. Looking for the answer to why we dance for the dead, this documentary uncovers the historical, and racially charged, roots of the tradition, along with how it shapes the Crescent City.

Irma - My Life in Music - November 16, 2022

Although Irma Thomas may not be the first name that comes to your mind when considering soul and R&B music in New Orleans, this 90-minute documentary focusses on the life and legacy of the real "Soul Queen of New Orleans." Featuring exclusive interview clips and archived concert footage, Irma takes a deep dive into one of the driving forces of New Orleans' music scene and R&B around the world.

Bury the Hatchet - January 25, 2023

Exploring the rich traditions and history of the New Orleans' Mardi Gras Indians through the eyes of three "Big Chiefs," Bury the Hatchet uncovers their original roots as slave runaways adopted by Native American tribes of Louisiana bayous to their present-day life and community. While the challenges faced by Mardi Gras Indians are not the same as the past, other battles still plague them from day-to-day, and this documentary offers a first eye view into the determination it takes to overcome these obstacles.

A Warehouse on Tchoupitoulas - March 22, 2023

Opening their doors at just the right time in the musical history of the 70s', The Warehouse hosted thousands of fans and incredible musicians, like Fleetwood Mac and The Grateful Dead, for twelve long, and awe-inspiring, years. A Warehouse on Tchoupitoulas follows the story of cultural phenomenon through exclusive interviews and imagery, illuminating the history that fueled the New Orleans' music scene - all under the roof of a simple warehouse on Tchoupitoulas.

1970 JazzFest Films - April 26, 2023

The Friends of the Cabildo's final showing is a conglomeration of seven 16mm film reels that capture the life, music, and legacy of New Orleans' first ever Jazz Fest. Throughout this collection of archived footage, viewers can discover the incredible talent of iconic musicians like Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington, Danny Barker, and more, along with the fans that listened to - and loved - their work.