John Lewis Movies
The ways in which African-American voters have been marginalized in the electoral process are examined in this activist documentary. In the investigation of ballot counting in Florida in the much-contested 2000 presidential election, it was discovered that many of the communities where inaccurate tabulating took place were largely populate by African-Americans, who have traditionally been loyal Democratic voters. Filmmaker Ian Inaba digs into the controversy over the 2000 ballot count and the ways in which race played a hand in the legal decisions that resulted in George W. Bush's appointment as president. Ianba's research also leads him to Representative Cynthia McKinney, a congresswoman from Georgia who spearheaded an investigation of the firm that created voter lists for the State of Florida (and had ties to high-ranking Republican figures) and was also an outspoken opponent of Bush's policies regarding terrorism and the war in Iraq. In the 2002 election, McKinney had reason to believe she had fallen victim to the same corruption she sought to expose when she lost her House of Representatives seat in a hotly contested election. American Blackout received its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia McKinney, John Lewis, (more)
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Paola di Florio directs Home of the Brave, a documentary about the impact of Viola Liuzzo's murder. Detroit housewife and mother of five, Liuzzo was a civil rights activist who went to Alabama to help with voter registration in 1965. She was in town during the pivotal march organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which ended in violence at the Edmund Pettus Bridge near Selma. While trying to transport the tear-gased marchers in her car, she was shot by three members of the Ku Klux Klan. Suspects Eugene Thomas, Collie Leroy Wilkins Jr., and William Orville Eaton were found guilty of civil rights violations and later acquitted. The film also explores the FBI investigation in the aftermath of her death, as well as the reaction in the Liuzzo home. Home of the Brave was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the documentary competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Liuzzo, Tony Liuzzo, (more)
- 2000
Director Steve York argues in this documentary that non-violent political movements have been the most formative tool to effect political change during the 20th century. The film opens with Mohandas Gandhi's colossal struggle against British colonialism. Using footage from old black and white newsreels, the film relays how Gandhi perfected his non-violent tactics in South Africa and used them with great effect in India. The second segment focuses on the American civil rights movement, focusing on Rev. James Lawson's struggle to reverse the segregation of Nashville's lunch counters using roughly the same methods as Gandhi. The final section outlines activist Mkhuseli Jack's non-violent attempts at ending apartheid in South Africa. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Kingsley, Alyque Padamsee, (more)
- 1998
Oliver Stone is the executive producer of this political documentary recalling the idealism, struggles, and turmoil of 1968 when two visionary American leaders promised hope but were slain within months of each other. After opening with Robert Kennedy on April 4, 1968 telling people in Indianapolis about Martin Luther King's murder in Memphis, the film looks back on the lives of both during the '60s, through interviews with friends, associates, and family members. When King was killed, a dream for the future was passed to RFK. During a 1967 Mississippi trip, RFK had an emotional reaction to the conditions in which poor black children lived. News footage and photos sketch in the backdrop of the '60s. By the end of 1968, with both men gone, the dream turned to despair. This two-hour film premiered April 5, 1998 on TBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew Young, Rev. Benjamin Hooks, (more)
- 1993
The 16th president of the United States comes fully to life in the one-hour special Abraham Lincoln: A New Birth of Freedom. This PBS program explores the history of the gentle leader from birth to presidency. Lincoln was unlike any other world leader because of his sense of humanity and justice. Raised in the wilds of Kentucky, the tall gangly pioneer educated himself, eventually earning a law degree. His devotion to freedom was played out during his unique reign in the White House. By far, Lincoln's greatest challenge was navigating the Civil War and its aftereffects. Dedicated to the abolishment of slavery, Lincoln fought hard to maintain that ideal while holding the Union together. All the while, he had to fight the possibility of a British invasion. This in-depth documentary features the voices of Andrew Young, Peter Coyote, and Louis Gossett Jr. It offers a rare glimpse into the motivations of one of America's greatest heroes. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
