''Howl'' explores the life and works of 20th-century American poet, Allen Ginsberg. Constructed in a Nonlinear narrative fashion, the film juxtaposes historical events with a variety of cinematic techniques. It reconstructs the Beat poets#History. It also re-enacts Ginsberg's debut performance of "Howl" at the Six Gallery reading on October 7, 1955 in black-and-white. In addition, parts of the poem are interpreted through animated sequences. Finally, these events are juxtaposed with color images of the Howl#1957 obscenity trial of San Francisco poet and City Lights Bookstore#Howl co-founder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti#The Howl trial, who was the first person to publish "Howl" in ''Howl and Other Poems''.