Portrait of Jason

In this candid portrayal of life during the 1960s, the film follows Jason Holliday, a multifaceted character who plays Aaron Payne - an aspiring cabaret artist and resourceful hustler navigating through the complexities of race and sexuality in America. The story offers a raw insight into Holliday's world, where he struggles to balance his dreams with the harsh realities of being black and gay amid societal expectations and prejudice.The character's journey is captured through an intimate, first-person account that takes us on a gritty exploration of a tumultuous era in American history. Holliday's life is painted with the brushstrokes of honesty and vulnerability, as he shares his gin-soaked and pill-popped experiences, painting a vivid picture of the challenges faced by marginalized communities. This powerful narrative, preserved in 2013 by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Milestone Films, serves as an enduring testament to the resilience of those who dared to challenge societal norms and carve their own paths amid adversity.