Wattstax

WATTSTAX is far more than a concert film—it is a snapshot of a historical moment: in 1972, seven years after the Watts riots, the festival of the same name in Los Angeles brings together stars of the Stax label—Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas—and a predominantly Black audience that is not only celebrating music, but also a sense of collective self-confidence. Mel Stuart interweaves the electrifying performances with street interviews, stand-up segments by Richard Pryor, and observations from everyday life in the community. Soul, funk, and gospel become vehicles of political experience, while humor emerges as a strategy for survival. WATTSTAX presents pop as a social practice: proud, angry, sensual—and, when viewed in light of the USA in 2026, strikingly relevant.