La La Land – smARTfilms: Melodies in Motion

This Jazz-inspired film series celebrates the magic of music and dance through a medley of films, ranging from classic Hollywood musicals to modern cinematic expressions.

LA LA LAND (2016, 2h8m)

Aspiring actress Mia serves lattes to movie stars between auditions, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail piano gigs in dingy bars. As success builds they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

Artwork: Barbara Earl Thomas, Trumpet Offering (detail), 2022, 40” × 26”, paper cut with hand-printed color. Photo by Spike Mafford.