Bless Their Little Hearts (Blu-ray)

A key masterpiece of the L.A. Rebellion, Bless Their Little Hearts distills the social concerns and aesthetics of that trailblazing movement in African American cinema. Searching for steady work, Charlie Banks (Nate Hardman) views his chronic unemployment as a kind of spiritual trial. But selling a few catfish can’t sustain a family of five while his wife, Andais (Kaycee Moore), works to support them with dignity. Unable to face his own failures, Charlie finds solace in an affair that threatens his marriage, children, and everything he holds dear. Bless Their Little Hearts showcases director Billy Woodberry’s attentive eye and sensitivity to real-life issues, making for an agonizingly beautiful film that ranks as “one of the great domestic cataclysms of modern movies” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker). Film restoration by Ross Lipman with Billy Woodberry at UCLA Film & Television Archive. 2K Digital restoration by Re-Kino, Warsaw. Audio commentary by film scholar Ed Guererro | The Pocketbook (1980, Billy Woodberry’s first film) | Workshop with Billy Woodberry (courtesy of Indiana University Black Film Center/Archive) | Billy and Charles: Ross Lipman’s interview | Interview with Ed Guererro | Bless Their Little Hearts behind-the-scenes photos courtesy of Billy Woodberry | Booklet with essays by filmmaker Allison Anders and Cornell University professor Samantha N. Sheppard