|
 |
Dynamic new Richmond filmmaker debuts
“Troop 491: The Adventures of the Muddy Lions”
- A compelling story about youth, choices and consequences -
RICHMOND, Va. – (May 17, 2013) – Saturday, May 18 is the world premiere of the independent film - "Troop 491: The Adventures of the Muddy Lions" - by Richmond screenwriter and director Praheme da Prophet.
The red carpet event will be at the historic Byrd Theatre – 2908 Cary St. in Richmond - at 1 p.m.
The film follows Tristan, a naive adolescent boy coping with life in the inner city. Tristan's mother enrolls him in the Boy Scouts in an effort to keep him off the streets, but when he witnesses a homicide, the local thug demands the boy's silence. Tristan learns, with the help of his new Scout friends, that doing the right thing isn't always easy.
Will he follow the code of the streets or will he follow the code of the Scouts?
WATCH THE TRAILER: http://youtu.be/WPcCsGQ_xjY
Troop 491 is Praphetic Praductions’ first feature film.
Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Praheme’s passion for storytelling developed at an early age. After concentrating on the arts in high school, Praheme went on to earn a B.A. in Film Production from Howard University. There he graduated cum laude and became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Beta Chapter and Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity Inc, Alpha Tau Chapter.
“I hope to honestly depict the complexities of blacks and minorities by telling rich stories relatable to all,” he said. “Through the use of film, I hope to entertain.”
Praheme is a 2010 graduate of Florida State University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production. To date, Praheme has been credited on more than 100 film and video productions. His credits include work as a Director, Writer, Producer, Director of Photography, Production Designer, Editor, 1st and 2nd Assistant Director, 1st and 2nd Assistant Cameraman, Grip, Gaffer, Best Boy Electric, Script Supervisor, Boom Operator and Sound Mixer.
For more information about tickets, showtimes, the movie or the director, please visit muddylions.eventbrite.com; troop491-movie.com and praheme.com.
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
(BPRW) FIVE “GROUNDBREAKERS IN FILM” BLOOM ON ASPiRE IN MAY
- Thursdays Will Debut a Trailblazing, Innovative, and Award-Winning Film, Featuring Spike Lee, Sidney Poitier, Richard Pryor & Phylicia Rashad Award-Winning Actor Laurence Fishburne (“Man of Steel”) Continues As Host of “Groundbreaking Movies” -
(BLACK PR WIRE) — Atlanta, GA — April 15, 2013 — On five Thursday nights in May, ASPiRE will air a series of “Groundbreakers in Film,” including premieres of Spike Lee’s incandescent first two films; a popular sequel to Sidney Poitier’s In the Heat of the Night; and an acclaimed 2008 TV revival of one of the most important plays of the 20th century. Richard Prior’s outrageous Bustin’ Loose also airs. All times are EST/PST.
“These five films each represent distinct achievements in our entertainment history, from true leaders and entertainers who always stir and provoke us,” said ASPiRE General Manager Paul Butler. “The films remain as thought-provoking and fun today as ever.”
The five films airing in May on ASPiRE include:
• She’s Gotta Have It – Spike Lee's award-winning debut feature is a provocative portrayal of an independent 80's woman struggling to maintain her identity while the men around her strive to control and define her. (Stars: Tracy Camila Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee, Raye Dowell. S. Epatha Merkerson and director/cinematographer Ernest Dickerson also appear.). Hosted by Laurence Fishburne. Thursday, May 2, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.
Fact: The highly stylized, black-and-white film features a jazz score by Lee's father, Bill Lee, who played bass for artists including Cat Stevens, Harry Belafonte, Aretha Franklin, Odetta, Simon & Garfunkel, and Bob Dylan.
• School Daze – Based in part on Spike Lee's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University, his second feature dares to take a taboo-smashing look at black college life like no film before or since. An urban musical-comedy, it tackles issues of real and perceived racism that stimulate conversation. (Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tisha Campbell, Ossie Davis, Bill Nunn, Branford Marsalis, Kadeem Hardison, Spike Lee). Hosted by Laurence Fishburne. Thursday, May 9, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.
Fact: In 2009, the singer Alicia Keys paid homage to School Daze in the music video for her song “Teenage Love Affair.”
• Bustin’ Loose – In this light comedy, Richard Pryor plays an ex-con who gets a second chance after violating his probation. School teacher Vivian Perry (Cicely Tyson) hires him to repair and drive a bus for a group of special needs children from Philadelphia to Ms. Perry’s farm in Washington state, where the kids can grow up clean and untroubled. The ride proves to be a learning experience for all involved. Paul Mooney also stars. Hosted by Laurence Fishburne. Thursday, May 16, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.
Fact: Roberta Flack wrote and performed music for the movie.
• They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! – In this exciting sequel to In the Heat of the Night, Sidney Poitier reprises his star turn as homicide Detective Virgil Tibbs. Based in San Francisco, Tibbs is called in to investigate a liberal street preacher and political organizer suspected of murdering a prostitute. Domestic woes, including a frustrated wife and a rebellious teenage son, also vex Tibbs. The film’s score was written by Quincy Jones, and exemplifies his trademark funk style in the early 1970s. (Stars: Sidney Poitier, Martin Landau, Barbara McNair, Edward Asner). Hosted by Laurence Fishburne. Thursday, May 23, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.
Fact: This film marks the last appearance of pioneering Puerto Rican/Brazilian radio/stage/screen/TV actor Juano Hernández, who died in July 1970, a few days after the film premiered.
• A Raisin in the Sun (2008) – A modern take on the classic 1959 play about a black family living on Chicago's South Side who anticipates the life-altering changes and happiness that a $10,000 life insurance check can bring in the wake of the father’s death. Based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry, this acclaimed drama centers around a money-obsessed adult son; his wife who wants a good life; his sister who dreams of being a doctor; and his mother who wants to fulfill the dream of homeownership she shared with her late husband. (Stars: Phylicia Rashad, Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, John Stamos, Sanaa Lathan). Thursday, May 30, 8 p.m. & 11 p.m.
Fact: The title was inspired by poet Langston Hughes' reflection that a deferred dream dries up like a raisin in the sun.
About ASPiRE
ASPiRE is a television network targeted to African-Americans and celebrates the groundbreaking achievements of our past, our now and our next. ASPiRE offers a diverse programming mix of movies, series and specials featuring music, comedy, drama, faith/inspiration, theater/performing arts, lifestyle and news/information. The network was launched June 27, 2012 by Magic Johnson Enterprises, which acts as a catalyst for driving unparalleled business results for its partners and fosters community/economic empowerment by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically diverse urban communities. ASPiRE is available in more than 15 million homes in 20 of the top 25 African-American markets including New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, DC. through Comcast, Time Warner and FAVE TV. For more information, visit www.aspire.tv, facebook.com/aspireTV and on Twitter @tvaspire.
About Magic Johnson Enterprises
Magic Johnson Enterprises acts as a catalyst for driving unparalleled business results for its partners and fosters community/economic empowerment by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically diverse urban communities. For more information, visit http://magicjohnson.com/enterprises.
Contact Information
Chelsye J. Burrows
770.692.4559
CBURROWS@GMCTV.TV
David Gardner
770.692.9939
DGARDNER@GMCTV.TV
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
SIMONSAYS: SEE OUR FILMS!
- SimonSays founder Ron Simons and producing associate
April Yvette Thompson with actor Isaiah Washington
Sundance 2013: Mother of George and Blue Caprice
-
March 7, 2013 (New York, NY) -- SimonSays Entertainment is on a roll with the recent announcement of Sundance Selects' acquisition of Alexandre Moors' debut BLUE CAPRICE. Together with Oscilloscope's pick up of Andrew Dosunmu's MOTHER OF GEORGE, that makes the film and theater company two for two at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Later this month BLUE CAPRICE, inspired by the D.C. sniper attacks and starring Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Joey Lauren Adams and Tim Blake Nelson will open the 2013 edition of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMA's prestigious New Directors/New Films, with exciting news on the horizon for MOTHER OF GEORGE, which stars Issach De Bankolé, Dania Gurira, and Yaya DaCosta, will
Both distributors are known for releasing quality independent films, including BEYOND THE HILLS by Cristian Mungiu (Sundance Selects), Adam Leon’s GIMME THE LOOT (Sundance Selects) as well as WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN by Lynne Ramsay and THE MESSENGER by Oren Moverman (Oscilloscope).
"We're thrilled with the successes of BLUE CAPRICE and MOTHER OF GEORGE and pleased to be working with two such respected distributors," said SimonSays founder and president Ron Simons. He added "we're immensely proud of Alexandre and Andrew, as well as their casts and crews and are looking forward to doing our part to help more up-and-coming artists realize their visions."
Film and theater production company SimonSays Entertainment was founded in 2009 by actor and Tony Award-winning producer Ron Simons with the simple motto: Tell Every Story. Focusing on narratives that dig deeply into the outsider's struggle for dignity and acceptance, SimonSays looks to shed light on these oft-ignored stories and in the process, explore how those stories play out on the ever-changing American tapestry.
Their film productions, including NIGHT CATCHES US, GUN HILL ROAD, BLUE CAPRICE and MOTHER OF GEORGE have all screened at the Sundance Film Festival and have collectively been nominated for multiple festival awards (with several wins) and two Independent Spirit Awards.
Notable theater productions include the multiple Tony Awards-winning revival of PORGY & BESS starring Audra McDonald and David Alan Grier, as well as the all-black Broadway production of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE starring Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parke. Simons is also a producer of the upcoming Broadway show VANYA AND SONYA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, written by Christopher Durang and starring Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce.
http://www.simonsaysentertainment.net
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
Codeblack Films bring you Free Angela & All Political Prisoners
You know her name. Know her story. Codeblack Films bring you Free Angela & All Political Prisoners. The documentary that chronicles the life of young college professor Angela Davis. How she became one of America’s most renowned revolutionaries and ended up on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. Presented by BET Networks, the film will be released exclusively in select AMC theatres in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Oakland, Philadelphia and Atlanta on April 5, 2013. Executive Producers include Overbrook Entertainment, founded by Will Smith and James Lassiter, and run with partner Jada Pinkett Smith, and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's Roc Nation.
ABOUT FREE ANGELA
Directed and written by Shola Lynch, Free Angela and All Political Prisoners was hailed by the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival as “a fascinating chronicle of justice and strength,” Free Angela tells the dramatic story of how a young professor’s social justice activism implicates her in a botched kidnapping attempt that ends with a bloody shootout, four dead, and her name on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. In this historical vérité style documentary, marking the 40th anniversary of her acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, Angela Davis recounts the politics and actions that branded her a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide movement for her freedom as a political prisoner.
At its core, the story wrestles with the meaning of political freedom in a democracy negotiated between the people and its government. Strong, attractive, and engaging, Angela Davis is one such person who became a symbol at the center of this still relevant power struggle. “We knew that this film was important and would not only shed a spotlight on history, but provide a flashlight for our future” said Jeff Clanagan, CEO of Codeblack Enterprises. “Angela Davis is a staple in history and continues to cross generational and cultural lines in her plight to fight for the freedom of all people.” Jada Pinkett Smith along with Overbrook Entertainment, Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, and BET Networks have joined forces on the production of the documentary. “We at Overbrook Entertainment are very proud to support this intriguing documentary about the life of Angela Davis,” said Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Filmmaker Shola Lynch has done an incredible job in revealing a piece of American history we thought we all knew.”
Shawn “JAY Z” Carter adds, “Shola Lynch has crafted an intricate and compelling film about Angela Davis. Roc Nation is honored to be part of a creative collective that can present such a riveting story.”
“The journey and struggle to free Angela Davis is a defining moment in our country’s fight for political freedom and an integral part of African-American history,” says Loretha Jones, President of Original Programming, BET Networks. “We are proud to be a partner in this film and to share powerful stories of justice such as this that will resonate with our audience.”
"This movie illustrates an important part of history, and we're honored to provide a platform for the story to be told," said Nikkole Denson-Randolph, Vice President of alternative and special content at AMC. "Although a commonly known moment in history, Free Angela offers an entirely new and authentic perspective."
Free Angela is distributed by Codeblack Films and will open on April 5, 2013 exclusively in select AMC theatres in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Oakland, Philadelphia and Atlanta.
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners
In select theaters April 5, 2013
Codeblack Films
Connect with FREE ANGELA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freeangelafilm
Twitter: @FreeAngelaFilm
Instagram: FreeAngelaMovie
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
ATTORNEY ROY MILLER:
OPEN LETTER TO TARANTINO ABOUT N-WORD USAGE
By Attorney Roy Miller
attorneymiller99@aol.com
January 17, 2013
Dear Mr. Tarantino,
First of all, I address you as Mr. and not Mrs. Knowing better; it would be disrespectful and inappropriate to do so. Words do make a difference. How we label people makes a difference. Conditioning youth to accept n-word usage is wrong. Consider the following.
One dark night hunters were in the woods and they saw something moving that they described as a beast, evil, and worthy to be killed. They made up a name to describe this evil beast and they shot him over and over again. When they went to claim the dead animal's carcass, they found that it was not a beast that wandered in the night, but a man. The name given was never meant for a man, a child of God. The horrible name was meant for a beast without a God.
The n-word implies that my ancestors in slavery were beasts, not human and not children of God. Applying it to my race today indicates that we are descendants of beasts. That was an incorrect and unacceptable description of my ancestors during slavery and it is wrong to use against my people today.
The n-word has never been a medicine. It has always been a poison. A poisonous snake, begging to be petted and taken lightly. No, the n-word has never been a friend, always an enemy. It could never be a term of endearment. No matter how you pronounce the n-word or spell it, we still know what you mean.
The n-word was not created to apply to a child of God. It was meant to apply to a beast, an animal, something without a heart and without a God. God is and has always been our Father. Bastards we are not. The n-word classification made my ancestors worthy of rape, forced labor, limb dismemberment and lynching.
Angels from Heaven that were slaves and branded like animals say no. The n-word description of who they were and who we are will not do. I feel that, God says no!
To condition Black adults and youth to accept n-word usage is wrong. The n-word distances us from God. We are children of God. We are not a bastard race. We are not creatures worthy of slavery and death, based on our skin color. We are the descendants of Adam and Eve. Words are powerful and never has there been a word more disturbing and disrespectful to a child of God.
Just because hundreds of Black actors, musicians and icons agree with casual n-word usage, it does not make it right. When someone spits on you, you don't pretend it’s cool rain and convince your children to also accept the spit as an act of endearment. Instead, you should always fight for respect and demand that the one that spits makes the adjustment. Resistance is important. Civil Rights cases, hate crime cases and discrimination cases depend on us showing that the n-word is unacceptable.
When I hear the n-word, I see a beautiful black baby that grew old in life and died and was called the n-word life long. When I hear the n-word, I see an aging black woman giving birth to the master's child and both mother and child being called n-words. I see a Black father lynched for trying to protect his little girl from being raped and both being called n-words.
I have been to numerous Black history programs and Black History Museums. Never have I seen that it was necessary to teach the era of slavery and use the n-word, as you did in Django. Your casual use of the n-word and indication that this is just a word is wrong and unacceptable. My ancestors that died in slavery, marked as beast without God, demand an apology and we the descendants of those marked as inhuman also demand an apology. Your immediate response is requested. Black people that refer to each other with n-word usage are disrespectful to our ancestors and to our youth. For the people of all races that understand what I am saying but choose to say nothing, they must realize that there is power in silence. I am fighting for innocent children to have a chance to live and not be hindered by the mean things that we adults say and do. In 1994, God allowed me to become the first and only person to succeed at having the n-word deleted from a major dictionary. I feel like God is demanding that I stand now, even if every god that man has made comes against me and to always remember, men don't make Gods…God made man. Do what is right. Let’s not condition innocent minded children to accept disrespect!
Sincerely,
Attorney Roy Miller
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
(BPRW) Six of the Nations Most Provocative Filmmakers Receive 2012 BronzeLens Film Festival Awards
- Top Honors given in Short Film, Documentary and Feature Categories -
(BLACK PR WIRE) – ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The third annual BronzeLens Film Festival (BronzeLens) was host to over 3000 attendees from across the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. During the course of four days 50 films in the Feature, Narrative Fiction, Documentary and Shorts categories November 8th-11th were screened at Georgia Pacific Center, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, World of Coca-Cola, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia Power Auditorium. A total of six films received prestigious BronzeLens Awards top honors in the following categories:
Colored My Mind: Diagnosis Director Nia T. Hill accepts BronzeLens Best Film Award. (Photo: Business Wire)
|
Best Documentary Short, Best Overall Film and Winner of the Panavision $50,000 Camera Equipment Prize
Colored My Mind: Diagnosis Director: Nia T. Hill
The synopsis: In this powerful Short Docu-Drama by award-winning writer and director Nia T. Hill, an educator, an actress, a lawyer, a music manager, and a homemaker are our guides as we explore the overlooked world of autism. Intercut in the documentary Nicole Ari Parker and Blair Underwood dramatize how a couple faces the reality of their autistic child.
Best Documentary
The Contradictions of Fair Hope Director: S. Epatha Merkerson and Rockell Metcalf
The synopsis: The documentary sets the stage in rural Alabama, prior to Emancipation, and traces the development, struggles, contributions and gradual loss of tradition of one of the last remaining African American benevolent societies, known as "The Fair Hope Benevolent Society" in Uniontown, Alabama. Through gripping human stories the film provides an unprecedented look at the complex and morally ambiguous world of Fair Hope juxtaposed against the worldly pleasures of what has become known as the annual "Foot Wash" celebration.
Best Feature Film
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty Director: Terence Nance
The synopsis: A quixotic artist explores his life after getting stood up by a mystery girl.
Best Short
Barbasol Director: Ralph K. Scott
The synopsis: A man has a desire to bond with his aging father that is suffering with dementia. He comes to realize he needs to turn that attention toward his own son.
S. Epatha Merkerson at the 2012 BronzeLens Film Festival (Photo: Business Wire)
|
Best International
Otelo Burning Director: Sara Blecher
The synopsis: Based on true events, three teenage friends from a South African township discover freedom through the joy of surfing. Otelo Burning is a strikingly dynamic portrait of hope and growth for a group of proud adolescents and a nation at the end of apartheid.
Audience Award Winner
Kunta Kinteh Island: Coming Home Without Shackles Director: Elvin Ross
The synopsis: Kunta Kinteh Island: Coming Home Without Shackles chronicles the pride, strength and journey of the most celebrated captive African, Kunta Kinteh, who was enslaved and brought to the New World during the West African Slave Trade. Recently Dr. Yahya Abul-Aziz Jemus Junnkung Jammeh, President of the Republic of The Gambia, reclaimed and renamed the old British Fortress from James Island to KUNTA KINTEH ISLAND to honor his legacy during the Roots Festival in February 2011.
Honorable Mentions
Features: Homecoming, Director: Eugene Ashe, Documentary: Color Outside the Lines, Director: Artemus Jenkins and Short: The Christmas Tree, Director: Angel Kristi Williams, International Short Documentary, On Our Land: Being Garifuna in Honduras, Directors: Neal Dixon, James Frazier, Erica Harding.
Legendary film, television and theater director and actor Kenny Leon at the BronzeLens Awards (Photo: Business Wire)
|
Other BronzeLens Award honorees were legendary film, television and theater director Kenny Leon who received the BronzeLens Trailblazer Award and television and film producer/director Roger Bobb received the BronzeLens Film Advocate Award. Also noted Atlanta community advocate W. Imara Canady received the BronzeLens Faith Award.
About the BronzeLens Film Festival
Founded in 2009, The BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta, Georgia is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. Its mission is twofold: to promote Atlanta as the new film Mecca for people of color; and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers. Since its inception the BronzeLens Film Festival has evolved as one of the most comprehensive film festivals for filmmakers of color in the United States. Visit www.bronzelensfilmfestival.com for more information regarding the BronzeLens Film Festival.
Sponsors of the BronzeLens Film Festival are Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Lottery Corp., Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Turner, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Panavision, Delta Air Lines, HBO Documentary Films, The Levy Group, Georgia Pacific, Macys, AT& T, Morehouse College, France Atlanta 2012, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, The Sai Sai Group, Inc., White Oak Restaurant, Organix Food Lounge Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, MHR International, Movie Magic and Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Media Partners Include: 11Alive/WXIA-TV, WCLK-FM, Atlanta DAYBOOK, Modern Luxury and Oz Magazine
Contact Information
BronzeLens Film Festival
Terri Vismale-Morris
(404) 346-0410
Director of Public Relations
newideas@bellsouth.net
or
Perspective PR
Joseph Babineaux
(323) 389-6130
joseph@perspective-pr.com
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
BARBER OF BIRMINGHAM
about the film
Mr. James Armstrong is a barber, a “foot soldier” and a dreamer whose barbershop in Birmingham, Alabama has been a hub for haircuts and civil rights since 1955. “The dream” of a promised land, where dignity and the right to vote belongs to everyone is documented in photos, headlines and clippings that cram every inch of wall space (and between the mirrors).
85-years-young, jauntily wearing a bowtie and suspenders, Mr. Armstrong will cut your hair while recounting his experiences as a “foot soldier”, citing the pictures on his wall as he does. In March 1965, civil rights activists began a march from Selma to Montgomery calling for voting rights. Mr. Armstrong, an Army Veteran, was the proud bearer of the American flag in that march, and it’s said that even as state troopers tear-gassed the crowd and beat marchers with billy clubs, he held the flag high. On the annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday he carries that flag.
He used his barber chair to educate: “If you want a voice, you have to vote; you can’t complain about nothing if you don’t vote.” Despite threats to his life and home, his two sons were the first to integrate an all white elementary school. “Dying isn’t the worst thing a man can do. The worst thing a man can do is nothing.” No one can accuse Mr. Armstrong of doing nothing; and on the eve of the election of the first African-American president, the barber of Birmingham sees his unimaginable dream come true.
BARBER OF BIRMINGHAM
background
The project was initiated in summer 2008 by Robin Fryday, a Bay Area photographer. The potential nomination of Barack Obama as the first African American president awakened a strong impulse to explore the impact of unfolding events on the aging Civil Rights activists in the South.
A research trip to Alabama confirmed her belief that the stories of those who fought for the right to vote in the 1960s needed to be captured and preserved in the context of unfolding events. She knew that African Americans who lived through the tumultuous era in the South would have stories to tell that would not be replicated anywhere else in the country. The idea for a documentary film was born.
While Robin had never spent much time in the South, she found herself making important connections with contacts in Birmingham and Selma who would help guide her quest to uncover potential characters to film. Fortuitously she was guided to the barbershop of James Armstrong and immediately assessed that he would be a strong central protagonist. She returned to the Bay Area in search of a potential partner to join her on the project and help to translate her inspiration into film. She was introduced to veteran documentary producer/director Gail Dolgin who recognized the potential for a strong and important program and joined forces with Robin.
Production had to begin almost immediately in order to capture the days leading up to the Election and the Election itself.
They agreed that the film would give voice to African Americans who had participated in the struggle and feature Mr. James Armstrong and his barbershop as key to the unfolding events. Mr. Armstrong enthusiastically agreed to participate. We determined that our approach would be intimate and required a trusting relationship with our key protagonists. Personal story telling was key to our design.
Gail and Robin are sharing producer/director roles but defined by the different levels of filmmaking experience each brings to the project. Robin took the leadership in establishing and maintaining connections in Birmingham and Selma. Gail was the primary interviewer and director on location and in the edit room. Both bring different skills but a shared vision.
View trailer
http://vimeo.com/18641752
ooOoo
The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.
No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.
|
|
|
