James Baldwin left New York behind for Paris in November 1948, at 24 years-old, to escape the pervasive racism and alienation of his American life. Over the next decade, Baldwin immersed himself in a community of Parisian and expatriated intellectuals, particularly the artists of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the diverse Algerian communities. It was here that he began to write the works for which he is best known.

In Jimmy, filmmaker Yashaddai Owens paints an impressionistic portrait of these early days in Paris on rich 16mm black-and-white. The film conveys the quiet wonder of discovering new identity, independence, and sexual freedom, capturing a transformative moment in the life of a young artist who would become one of the most indispensable voices of the twentieth century.

The UK Premiere on Thursday 6 March, is followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Yashaddai Owens.