Adapted from Warren Miller’s 1959 novel and still revered for its authenticity, Shirley Clarke’s brilliantly stark look at early 1960s ghetto life is exceptional. The first commercial film to be shot on location in the streets of Harlem, The Cool World ages like a fine wine, its historical relevance and groundbreaking execution gradually qualifying it as not only one of the classic examples of Clarke’s work, but also a landmark in American cinema.

Carl Lee’s influence on this project was crucial. A key figure in Clarke’s life throughout the 1960s, Lee not only co-wrote the piece, but also spent months arranging interviews for possible cast members with young people from schools in Harlem. After initially faltering in their search, Clarke and Lee finally recognised the energy she wanted in improvisations they staged with Harlem gang members – who, ironically, were so “real” they were unable to read the script. Lee, having played what is essentially the title role in The Connection, also appears in The Cool World, delivering another iconic turn as “Priest”, a powerful, stylish pimp who subtly pre-empts the character caricature of Ron O’Neal’s in Super Fly (in which Lee also featured) by almost a decade.

As with The Connection, the jazz element is crucial, with a tremendous soundtrack by Mal Waldron and a fleeting appearance by the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. Once again, it is Clarke’s ingenious fusion of fact and fiction that allows empathy with the complex humanity of her characters. By cleverly allowing the environment to steal focus, she recognises the living streets of Harlem as a vital central “character”, as opposed to just a location.

It took Clarke two years to realise The Cool World and it left her heavily in debt. However, in skilfully channelling the raw power of the bleak truth, she produced a cinematic bombshell that still resonates today.