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The new documentary Oscar Brown, Jr.: Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress has the good sense to start with the opening of Mr. Kicks, one of the greatest hooks in 20th-century popular music. I grew up in the '70s listening to my parents' record collection from the '60s: late-career Beatles, early-career Cat Stevens, and all-career Peter, Paul & Mary. Mixed in with those paler artists were two seminal albums from Oscar Brown, Jr., Sin and Soul and Between Heaven and Hell. My brother and I would put those on and dance around the house, listening to tracks like "Mr. Kicks" and "Forbidden Fruit." And even as a 10-year-old, I knew there was something wonderfully naughty about "Hazel's Hips" which "bring the tips." As I grew older, I found my own music, though, and left Oscar Brown, Jr. behind. So it wasn't until I came to Chicago eleven years ago that I realized he was a south-side Chicagoan and still making music and poetry.

He passed away several weeks ago, so the Black Harvest festival's presentation of the documentary Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress is both a welcome and sad occasion. The movie itself is a wonderful overview of Brown's life and work, filled with interviews from all stages of his life. It's constructed mostly chronologically, moving from Brown's reminiscences of his childhood to his early work on Sin and Soul and the unfortunately aborted musical Kicks and Co. and on to his later career as an innovative poet and performance artist. Director donnie l. betts achieves a pleasing rhythm, mixing interviews on the same topic so things don't get dull. He also has a nice way of integrating archival photos and footage (especially of south-side Chicago) with his interviews. As you might expect, though, the best parts are the scenes of Brown cutting loose on stage, and I was blown away by pieces I hadn't remembered, like "Blue Smoke and Mirrors."

My friend Garth had warned me that the documentary is a warts-and-all portrait that doesn't gloss over Brown's failings, but that's not accurate. Yes, it mentions (even celebrates) Brown's marijuana use and briefly discusses how he left one wife and cheated on another, but that's about it. Even his notorious collaboration with the Blackstone Rangers is seen through sympathetic eyes, and the rest of the film is a recap of Brown's achievements, narrated usually by the artist himself. Still, no one's likely to complain, and betts wisely highlights Brown's strong political stances and how those informed his music throughout his life. Given the corporate nature of today's popular music, Brown's proclamations seem positively audacious.

The documentary will be shown twice this month, on Aug. 13 and 15. The Aug. 13 screening will be followed by a party featuring a musical performance from Brown's daughter Maggie, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Oscar Brown Jr. HIP Legacy Foundation.

That's not all the attractions in the last half of the Black Harvest film festival. Another worthwhile film with a local connection is Caged (Aug. 19 & 24). Directed by Elridge Valentine and written by Elliott V. Porter, the team behind last year's festival favorite Player in Training, this year's offering is a more serious affair. It stars Porter as Andre, a black man making his way through life. He has a young son whom he adores but whose mother irritates him to no end. On the other hand, his current girlfriend isn't much better, so he finds company with his male co-workers and drug-smoking (and dealing) brother Cedric. Seeing how few movies treat African-American males as anything but predators or fools, Caged is an important alternative. But it's also a touching story of a regular guy doing regular things like relating to his son, meeting a new woman, and arguing with his boss. The movie acknowledges the racial angle of his workplace and the gender politics of his relationships, but it's not overwhelmed by them. Instead, it tackles the apparently simple but much harder task of showing a black man in all his complexity.

It helps that Porter is great in the role of Andre, but even better is Simeon Henderson as Cedric. The two have a natural chemistry that makes their scenes together sparkle. And while the film shortchanges the female roles somewhat, it does offer two fantastic girls-night-out conversations that present the woman's perspective. Valentine has also grown as a director, as he beautifully uses a hand-held camera and transitions smoothly between scenes. As with any low-budget production, the secondary actors are a mixed bag, and the sound is often atrocious. Porter also misjudges his audience when, near the end, he feels the need to explain the themes his story has already illustrated. Nonetheless, Caged presents the sort of story Hollywood almost never shows and is an encouraging reminder of the value of festivals like Black Harvest.

There are many other films and shorts programs on the schedule. I'd particularly encourage you to check out the program "Families for Real" (Aug. 21 & 23), which features the short film Hardwood (reviewed in last week's Outlook). It's one of the best things I've seen all year. You can also check out the website of the Gene Siskel Film Center for a complete schedule: www.siskelfilmcenter.com. The festival runs through the end of the month.

J. Robert Parks