Novara Media

Downstream: See My Movies Then Go On Strike w/ Boots Riley

2026-11-01

You’ve probably heard of Boots Riley’s work – Sorry To Bother You starring LaKeith Stanfield was a surprise hit, and his series I’m A Virgo got picked up by Amazon Prime. But the Oakland-raised rapper-turned-director doesn’t just want you to leave the cinema having had a good time: he wants you to start a revolution. His new film I Love Boosters – starring the incredibly charming Keke Palmer – is about three women who shoplift from high end boutiques, and sell the clothes at a cut price in the hood. But it wouldn’t be a Boots Riley film if it stopped there. What starts as a paean to shoplifters turns into a story of working class shop floor organisation – and international communist action.Is all art propaganda? Is shoplifting a revolutionary act? What role does style play in the revolution? And what’s it like being the most high profile communist in Hollywood, in Trump’s America? Spoilers Warning: Information about the plot is disclosed at 17:50 – 19:20, 26:40 – 27:50, and 54:10 – 54:50. 00:00 Introduction 00:53 What’s It Like Being a Communist in Hollywood? 02:24 The Contradictions of Having Radical Politics Under Capitalism03:23 “Suits for Rage”: The Contradictions We All Embody 08:27 How Boots Riley Became Communist09:03 Exposing Injustice Isn’t Enough: Action is Needed11:24 What Actually Makes People Join Movements?13:08 Hollywood’s Problem With Radical Politics20:10 On Craft, Creativity and Alienation23:08 Boots Riley’s Superhero Origin Story 31:00 General Strike Now!35:02 Every Film Is Political42:28 Is the Right Better at Propaganda?48:05 How the Cops Manufactured a Shoplifting Panic53:08 It’s All Propaganda Support our workBuy Novara Media merch

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2026-11-01

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Novara Media is an independent media organisation addressing the issues—from a crisis of capitalism to racism and climate change—that are set to define the 21st century.