With the recent release of the documentaries Los Angeles Plays Itself, Mayor of the Sunset Strip and Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession, the City of Angels has moved beyond its standard role as backdrop for the dream factory and has become a legitimate subject of filmic discourse. This collection of nonfiction and experimental work examines the culture and environment of the city and its surroundings. Although the city film is often associated with New York and the great urban capitals of Europe, these works present Los Angeles as a rich and viable subject with many layers beneath its oft-scrutinized surface.

This series is presented in conjunction with the Brattle Theatre’s spring program, Dark Side of the Sun: L.A. Noir.