“The quartet of musicians, led by the pianist and composer Freddie Redd and the caustic-toned post-bop saxophonist Jackie McLean, perform brilliantly on-camera as they dramatize both the agonized wait and the needed high...”

— Richard Brody, New Yorker

Part of Scalarama / Directed by Women seasons

In a cramped and dirty New York apartment, eight junkies variously goof off, chat and play jazz music while waiting for their heroin connection to show up. They've also struck a deal with documentary filmmaker Jim Dunn (William Redfield): they'll let him film them provided he pays for their drugs. What could possibly go wrong…? The Connection was legendary cult film-maker Shirley Clarke's debut feature - and a very early example of the 'found-footage' genre of film. (And the jazz is great too!)