New York on Film: The World, the Flesh and the Devil

In The World, the Flesh and the Devil (Ranald MacDougall, 1959, 95 min), on-location film production in post-war New York meets mid-century apocalyptic science fiction.  Shot on location throughout the city, and featuring empty streets that recall recent pandemic scenes, the film confronts racism in a direct way that is rare for a Cold War era sci-fi film at the time. The film was adapted from the 1901 speculative fiction novel "The Purple Cloud" by Caribbean-British author M. P. Shiel, and stars Inger Stevens, Mel Ferrer, and the late, great activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte. 

Introduced by Carmen Perez-Jordan, President/Chief Executive Officer of The Gathering for Justice, a social justice organization founded in 2005 by Belafonte dedicated to shifting culture toward justice in the criminal legal system.

This screening is part of our year-long series, New York on Film: Decade by Decade, programmed by Jessica Green. The series accompanies the Museum's centennial exhibition, This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture.

Event Timeline:
6:00 pm - Doors open to Pontarelli Terrace (first floor); drinks & popcorn available for purchase
6:45 pm - Short introduction by Carmen Perez-Jordan
7:00 pm - Film program begins: The World, The Flesh and the Devil  
8:35 pm - Program ends
9:00 pm - Museum closes

Event Logistics (subject to changed based on NYC regulations):

• In case of rain, this event will move indoors into Ronay Menschel Hall (Ground Floor).  
• Please contact programs@mcny.org with any questions or ticketing issues.
• All sales are final; refunds not permitted. Exchanges and credit for future programs only. Programs and dates may be subject to change.

General Admission $20 | Members $15

New York on Film is the centennial year edition of the Museum's ongoing Moonlight & Movies series.

About the Speaker: 
Carmen Perez-Jordan is an internationally recognized, award-winning civil and human rights leader and Chicana feminist. Mentored by the late legendary artist and activist Harry Belafonte, Carmen has traveled the world championing peace through the advocacy of civil and human rights, developing alternatives to incarceration and violence, and offering insights for state and federal policy creation.
Currently, she serves as the President & CEO of The Gathering for Justice. She is the co-founder of Justice League NYC and Justice League CA, both of which are state-based task forces committed to advancing a juvenile and criminal justice reform agenda. Under her leadership, pivotal campaigns like "Free Meek Mill" and "Take a Knee" with Colin Kaepernick were initiated, among numerous others. Carmen was also one of the National Co-Chairs for the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, an event that mobilized over 5 million people worldwide.
In addition to her activism, Carmen co-founded Poderistas and sits on the Advisory Board of Monogram and Can’t Stop! Won’t Stop! She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos. Her contributions to civil and human rights have earned her spots on Fortune’s "Top 50 World Leaders" list, TIME’s "100 Most Influential People," Glamour’s "Women of the Year," and Forbes’ "100 Mujeres Más Poderosas."
Carmen has been invited as a featured speaker at esteemed institutions such as Peloton, Harvard University, Columbia University, and the University of California - Santa Cruz. She has garnered media attention from notable outlets like Forbes, TIME, Newsweek, MSNBC, Univision, ELLE, Glamour, Bustle, Common Dreams, and more.
Despite her vast accomplishments, Carmen cherishes her role as a mother to her two young children above all else.