Spike Lee’s new film, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, opens in theaters nationwide and on demand Feb. 13, and he’s had people talking about it way before it was made. Lee’s latest, which he describes as “a new kind of love story about human beings who are addicted to blood,” was funded by donations made through Kickstarter.
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a remake of Bill Gunn’s 1973 blaxploitation film Ganja & Hess and follows a blood-addicted Dr. Hess Greene (Stephen Tyrone Williams) on his quest for blood and love. Although Green isn’t a vampire, his encounter with an African artifact leaves him with the thirst for it. As he looks for his next blood donation, Green comes across Ganja Hightower (Zaraah Abrahams), the wife of his former colleague, and the two soon embark on their pursuit of blood, love, addiction and sex. As with Ganja & Hess, throughout Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, there are themes dealing with classism, the black church and lust.
Take a look at an exclusive clip from Da Sweet Blood of Jesus: