Personal Problems (The Final Film Festival)

A partly improvised story of a complicated marriage, the people surrounding the central couple, friends they're having affairs with, and unwanted family.

Personal Problems, Bill Gunn

Johnnie Mae is a Harlem nurse, navigating her marriage, friends, family, and a secret lover; each complimenting her, but often threatening her stability in the pulsing rhythms of late-1970s Harlem. Shot on video, with a loose, unpredictable, and non-rehearsed energy, the film lets its protagonists talk, argue, and live their lives, as if no camera was there. Personal Problems (1980) is a highly sophisticated portrait of Black domestic life and sense of community.

★ ★ ★ ★

Release Date: July 31st 2026
Director(s): Bill Gunn
Producer(s): Walter Cotton
Starring: Vertamae Grosvenor, Carey Barnes, Alan Beckles
Cinematographer: Robert Polidori Distributor: Other Parties Film Company Runtime: 165 minutes