The highly acclaimed debut feature of Charles Burnett, who introduced his recent film My Brother's Wedding in March at PFA, and who wrote and photographed Billy Woodberry's Bless Their Little Hearts (see April 16). Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, Killer of Sheep focuses on the personal isolation of a black slaughterhouse worker who must suspend his emotions to continue in a job he finds repugnant, and then finds he has little sensitivity left for the family he works so hard to support. Using semi-documentary techniques and eliciting remarkable performances from a cast of non-professional actors, Burnett creates a profound sense of place, linking the struggle of his protagonist with that of the Watts community. “In order to survive,” Burnett says, “you have to do conflicting things...(and the) consequences manifest themselves in many ways.” Despite the slaughter of animals and egos it depicts, Killer of Sheep is not a depressing film; rather, it is infused with the humor and resilience that survival necessitates.