Kinema Screenings

Join us for a special Kinema screening of Stay Prayed Up, a moving portrait of faith, music, and community rooted in the American South. Centered on the powerful voice and spirit of Mother Lena Mae Perry and her gospel group, The Branchettes, the film captures a legacy of song that has uplifted generations. As Perry prepares for a long-awaited live recording, Stay Prayed Up offers an intimate look at devotion, friendship, and the enduring impact of Southern storytelling—on stage and beyond.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, New Orleans was the epicenter of Southern rap, thanks to influential artists Juvenile, B.G., and Soulja Slim. While Juvenile maintains a thriving career, the other two faced tragic outcomes: Soulja Slim was murdered in 2003 just as his career was taking off, and B.G. was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in 2012. Their sons—Young Juve, T.Y., and Lil’ Soulja Slim—met as teenagers and, inspired by their shared legacies, formed the group Ghetto Children, named after a Juvenile song. This documentary is an intimate portrait of Black boyhood transforming into manhood, shaped by their fathers' legacies. The film explores how these young men strive to carve out their own identities in the music world, navigating the weight of generational expectations, the families they build, and the culture that surrounds them.