Title: Love Free or Die Directed by: Macky Alston Starring: Bishop Gene Robinson Running time: 82 Minutes, Not Rated Special Features: Featurette and Trailer A documentary about Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop who is the only bishop not invited to the once in a decade held global Lambeth Anglican Conference. A film crew follows Robinson as he struggles to bring to light that homosexuality does not interfere with the right to preach and worship and the Lgbt communities should be welcomed to practice the religion as anyone else. He is constantly yelled at and told he is a sinner, and even people who think they are soldiers for [ Read More ]
The post Love Free or Die DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Love Free or Die DVD Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/12/2013
- by juliana
- ShockYa
“Love Free or Die” is now available April 9, thanks to Wolfe Video. The documentary, focusing on the first openly gay person to be elected bishop, was filmed by the award-winning Macky Alston and illuminates more about how sexuality and religion are pitted against each other: “Love Free Or Die is a film about religion, homosexuality and human rights; how tradition and scripture are used by many to reject a faithful minority and amid the growing calls in the Us and beyond to adopt inclusion. The film follows Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay person to be elected bishop in the high church traditions of Christendom. Bishop Robinson’s elevation [ Read More ]
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The post Win A Copy Of Love Free Or Die From ShockYa’s Twitter Giveaway appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/9/2013
- by monique
- ShockYa
PBS documentary series "Independent Lens" officially kicks off its 2012-2013 season tonight, October 29th, with "Love Free or Die," a film from director Macky Alston about Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in a Christian church, a man who wore a bullet-proof vest to his consecration in 2003. It's a portrait of both an individual and an extremely timely issue, and this round of Independent Lens is filled with similarly relevant films in a moment in which public television itself is coming under political fire. Indiewire spoke with Independent Lens' founding and senior producer Lois Vossen about the docs, the series' move to Monday nights after a problematic shift to Thursdays last year and new host Stanley Tucci. Can you tell me about the new timeslot [Monday nights at 10pm] and what you expect from it? We feel PBS definitely demonstrated a commitment to independent film by giving us one of its key timeslots -- Monday.
- 10/29/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Sure, Sunday is incredibly overcrowded with high-end TV, including "Homeland," "The Walking Dead," "Boardwalk Empire," "The Good Wife," "Treme" and "Dexter," but what to watch the rest of the time? Every Monday, we bring you five noteworthy highlights from the other six days of the week. "Love Free or Die": Broadcast Premiere Monday, October 29 at 10pm on PBS The 2012-2013 season of PBS documentary series Independent Lens officially kicks off tonight with "Love Free or Die," a film from Macky Alston ("Hard Road Home") that won a special jury prize at Sundance earlier this year. The film centers on Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to be consecrated in any Christian denomination -- a fact that has caused division in the church and threats against Robinson's life. "The Mortified Sessions": Tig Notaro Monday, October 29 at 10pm...
- 10/29/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Make some room, Maggie Smith: The newest distinguished face on PBS is actor and filmmaker Stanley Tucci, who EW can exclusively report has been tapped as the host of the network’s long-running documentary series Independent Lens.
The Hunger Games and Devil Wears Prada star follows in a long time of distinguished past Independent Lens hosts, including Mary-Louise Parker, America Ferrera, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, and Don Cheadle.
“Stanley Tucci truly embodies the spirit and essence of Independent Lens,” says Lois Vossen, Lens’ senior producer. “Incapable of giving a bad performance, he owns each role,...
The Hunger Games and Devil Wears Prada star follows in a long time of distinguished past Independent Lens hosts, including Mary-Louise Parker, America Ferrera, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, and Don Cheadle.
“Stanley Tucci truly embodies the spirit and essence of Independent Lens,” says Lois Vossen, Lens’ senior producer. “Incapable of giving a bad performance, he owns each role,...
- 9/17/2012
- by Tanner Stransky
- EW - Inside TV
Wolfe, the largest Lgbt film distributor, acquired U.S. rights to Mackey Alston's "Love Free or Die" on DVD and VOD at the Outfest Film Festival Tuesday. Alston received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for his work in directing the film. A full press release of the acquisition follows: San Jose, Calif. (July 25, 2012) — Wolfe Video has acquired the U.S. DVD/VOD rights from Cinephil to the award-winning documentary Love Free or Die at this year’s Outfest: The 30th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Director Macky Alston (Family Name, Hard Road Home) was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for Love Free or Die. The film follows Bishop Gene Robinson amidst the firestorm of international controversy that followed his ordination by the New Hampshire Episcopal Church as the church’s first openly gay bishop. Hailed as: “a moving look...
- 7/24/2012
- by Srimathi Sridhar
- Indiewire
I can't remember a time I went to the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) press launch and looked over the list of films and saw so many I was interested in seeing. The claim to fame for over the years is to call it the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States. This is a fact I've often taken issue with as I don't equate quantity with quality. Granted, there has been a large number of quality features to play the fest over the years, including Golden Space Needle (Best Film) winners such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), My Life as a Dog (1987), Trainspotting (1996), Run Lola Run (1999), Whale Rider (2003) and even recent Best Director winner, Michel Hazanavicius's Oss 117: Nest of Spies in 2006. That said, looking over this year's crop of films I see a lot of films I will be doing my absolute best to see.
- 4/27/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
QFest opens today (Sunday April 21st) in St. Louis. QFest, the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is celebrating it’s fifth year with a terrific line-up of films spotlighting Gay and Lesbian filmmakers and themes. QFest is a Cinema St. Louis event and this year is presented by Tla Releasing, a Us film distribution company whose primary output is Lgbt-related films from all over the world. All films will be shown at the Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Blvd. in the University City Loop district). Individual tickets are $12 general admission or $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members with valid and current photo IDs. Advance tickets are available through the Tivoli Theatre box office or online at Landmark Theatres’ web site
Here’s the line-up for the QFest films playing today and tonight:
Sunday, April 22nd at 1:30pm.
Cloudburst- (Canada, 2011, 93 min.) Directed Thom Fitzgerald
In this moving comedy, Oscar-winning...
Here’s the line-up for the QFest films playing today and tonight:
Sunday, April 22nd at 1:30pm.
Cloudburst- (Canada, 2011, 93 min.) Directed Thom Fitzgerald
In this moving comedy, Oscar-winning...
- 4/22/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
QFest, the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is celebrating it’s fifth year with a terrific line-up of films spotlighting Gay and Lesbian filmmakers and themes. QFest is a Cinema St. Louis event and this year is presented by Tla Releasing, a Us film distribution company whose primary output is Lgbt-related films from all over the world.
QFest begins this Sunday, April 22nd and runs through Thursday, April 26, 2012, at the Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Blvd. in the University City Loop district). QFest uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the diversity and inherent complexities of living an alternative lifestyle in today’s society. This year’s event features an eclectic slate of contemporary Lgbtq-themed feature films, documentaries, and shorts.
Here’s the line-up for this year’s QFest:
Sunday, April 22nd at 1:30pm.
Cloudburst- (Canada, 2011, 93 min.) Directed Thom Fitzgerald
In this moving comedy, Oscar®-winning actresses...
QFest begins this Sunday, April 22nd and runs through Thursday, April 26, 2012, at the Tivoli Theatre (6350 Delmar Blvd. in the University City Loop district). QFest uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the diversity and inherent complexities of living an alternative lifestyle in today’s society. This year’s event features an eclectic slate of contemporary Lgbtq-themed feature films, documentaries, and shorts.
Here’s the line-up for this year’s QFest:
Sunday, April 22nd at 1:30pm.
Cloudburst- (Canada, 2011, 93 min.) Directed Thom Fitzgerald
In this moving comedy, Oscar®-winning actresses...
- 4/19/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Parker Posey was all set to host last night's awards ceremony, but fell ill — and so, as live-bloggers Eric Hynes and Claiborne Smith report, Sundance festival director John Cooper reluctantly took the helm, choking up a bit right at the top as he drove himself through a remembrance of Bingham Ray. Rebounding, he brought on director and actress Katie Aselton as co-host and it was on to the awards. You can actually watch all this here (select "2012 Sundance Film Festival"). An overview of what the critics are saying about the winners:
Grand Jury Prize: Documentary. The House I Live In, "a lucid, long-view unpacking of the War on Drugs from Eugene Jarecki, who ably dissected the lead-up to the Iraq War in Why We Fight." The Boston Globe's Ty Burr: "The movie marshals a wide selection of talking heads, from Oklahoma prison guards and Reagan-era appointees to street dealers and Jarecki's own nanny,...
Grand Jury Prize: Documentary. The House I Live In, "a lucid, long-view unpacking of the War on Drugs from Eugene Jarecki, who ably dissected the lead-up to the Iraq War in Why We Fight." The Boston Globe's Ty Burr: "The movie marshals a wide selection of talking heads, from Oklahoma prison guards and Reagan-era appointees to street dealers and Jarecki's own nanny,...
- 1/30/2012
- MUBI
Sundance is wrapping up once again this year and as with every year, quite a few films are generating quite the buzz. Among them is The House I Live In, The Law in These Parts and Violeta Went to Heaven who all earned Jury Prizes. The Sundance awards (while I rarely agree with the choices) are always interesting to follow each year, since the winners are sometimes entirely unexpected. This year there’s no surprise that the most talked about film – Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, took home the top prize.
Here is the full list of winners from the press release, including the five Audience Award winners.
2012 Sundance Film Festival Jury Awards:
The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under,...
Here is the full list of winners from the press release, including the five Audience Award winners.
2012 Sundance Film Festival Jury Awards:
The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under,...
- 1/30/2012
- by Kyle Reese
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – “Art is not a competition. But if it were, these would be the winners,” quipped filmmaker Mike Birbiglia at the Jan. 28 awards presentation for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Birbiglia’s deadpan humor would’ve made him an ideal host for the event, and his appearance was one of the few bright spots in a rather disappointing ceremony.
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, stepped in to replace Indie Queen Parker Posey, whose inspired comic turn in Michael Walker’s “Price Check” garnered positive buzz among festivalgoers. The show opened in tears and solemnity as Cooper paid heartfelt tribute to the late film executive Bingham Ray, who suffered a fatal stroke during the festival.
One of the evening’s big winners was Benh Zeitlin’s visually arresting drama “Beasts of the Southern Wild” about a six-year-old girl (Quvenzhané Wallis) who embarks on a search...
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, stepped in to replace Indie Queen Parker Posey, whose inspired comic turn in Michael Walker’s “Price Check” garnered positive buzz among festivalgoers. The show opened in tears and solemnity as Cooper paid heartfelt tribute to the late film executive Bingham Ray, who suffered a fatal stroke during the festival.
One of the evening’s big winners was Benh Zeitlin’s visually arresting drama “Beasts of the Southern Wild” about a six-year-old girl (Quvenzhané Wallis) who embarks on a search...
- 1/29/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Macky Alston's "Love Free or Die," playing in the Us Documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival, begins as a portrait of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Church. Even if "Love Free or Die" had been content to just remain focused on "the most controversial Christian in the world," it would have had a solid story to tell. Despite facing death threats and opposition within his own church, Robinson is a sensitive, funny and altogether inspirational subject. The thing that elevates "Love Free or Die" -- which I will eventually type as "Love Free...
- 1/24/2012
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Park City – Despite the insurgent rallying cry implied by its title, Love Free or Die is a probing, even-handed account of the experience of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay, non-celibate bishop ordained in a major Christian denomination. Examining the ripple effect of his actions both in the U.S. Episcopal Church and the 78 million-strong worldwide Anglican network to which it belongs, Macky Alston’s engrossing documentary sheds light on a significant chapter in the broader struggle for Lgbt rights. With the backing of progressive clergy, Robinson’s committed stance led to a successful referendum at the
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read more...
- 1/24/2012
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Gene Robinson became a bishop of the Episcopal Church’s New Hampshire diocese in 2003, it was a watershed moment for organized religion, to be sure. Yet to merely deem the election of the first openly gay non-celibate priest in the history of major Christian denominations a “watershed” is to understate the rather extraordinary significance of a single act that overturned a millennia-old tradition of intolerance. Macky Alston’s documentary Love Free or Die is a film worthy of that momentous event. It follows the courageous Bishop Gene as he faces a wealth of hatred and distrust. He is excluded from the Anglican Church’s once-a-decade Lambeth Conference, and he faces death threats, cruel hecklers, and more while fighting for full-fledged equality in his church and a newfound understanding of the Bible’s most controversial elements. Robinson, a folksy native Southerner with charm to spare, is a relentless advocate for Lgbt rights, adept...
- 1/23/2012
- by Robert Levin
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Five Films with Major Support from JustFilms Set for World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival
In its first year, the Ford Foundation initiative has already provided $10 million
to more than 100 filmmakers and mediamakers around the world
Just one year after its launch, JustFilms, the Ford Foundation.s documentary film fund, is providing major support to five independent films selected for competition and premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the world.s leading showcase for independent filmmaking.
Each of the five embodies JustFilms. vision of the power of independent film to illuminate the world in which we live and inspire people to engage in pressing social challenges, from the untold story of bravery and activism that opened access to AIDS drugs in the United States, to a poignant account of Detroit residents reimagining their city.
.We.re extremely pleased that five projects receiving major support from JustFilms have been selected to premiere at Sundance,...
In its first year, the Ford Foundation initiative has already provided $10 million
to more than 100 filmmakers and mediamakers around the world
Just one year after its launch, JustFilms, the Ford Foundation.s documentary film fund, is providing major support to five independent films selected for competition and premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the world.s leading showcase for independent filmmaking.
Each of the five embodies JustFilms. vision of the power of independent film to illuminate the world in which we live and inspire people to engage in pressing social challenges, from the untold story of bravery and activism that opened access to AIDS drugs in the United States, to a poignant account of Detroit residents reimagining their city.
.We.re extremely pleased that five projects receiving major support from JustFilms have been selected to premiere at Sundance,...
- 1/20/2012
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Love Free Or Die," directed by Macky Alston ("The Killer Within") is one of three Lgbt-themed films in the U.S. Documentary Competition. What's it about? "Love Free Or Die" is about openly gay bishop Gene Robinson whose courageous honesty and catalytic leadership have changed the world. Director Macky Alston says: "The biggest challenge in making this film was interviewing bishops and other religious leaders who were gay but couldn't be open about it. As a gay man, it was excruciating to connect with these people (and there are a lot of them) and watch them shut down, withdraw, say that maybe someday they would be able to come out, but no time soon. Meeting so many people who were unable to come out of the closet over the past four years gives me all the more respect for those who have and do. There are some in this film...
- 1/8/2012
- Indiewire
A Tribeca Film Institute Panel at the New School this week mulled over just this topic. From the program:
You’ve completed your school work and made a few films in school, and now you need to figure out your next steps. What career options exist for filmmakers? How can you develop and raise money for a film project and still cover your living expenses? This panel addresses these questions and provides examples and answers relevant to all makers of film and other media.
The panelists:
Sharon Badal (Moderator) is head short film programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival.
Sandi DuBowski is the Director/Producer of Trembling Before G-d, Producer of A Jihad for Love, and Co-Producer of Budrus.
Macky Alston is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, an educator on issues of media and religion, an organizer within the worlds of philanthropy and media-making, and a regular writer and reviewer on film and religion
Moon Molson?...
You’ve completed your school work and made a few films in school, and now you need to figure out your next steps. What career options exist for filmmakers? How can you develop and raise money for a film project and still cover your living expenses? This panel addresses these questions and provides examples and answers relevant to all makers of film and other media.
The panelists:
Sharon Badal (Moderator) is head short film programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival.
Sandi DuBowski is the Director/Producer of Trembling Before G-d, Producer of A Jihad for Love, and Co-Producer of Budrus.
Macky Alston is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, an educator on issues of media and religion, an organizer within the worlds of philanthropy and media-making, and a regular writer and reviewer on film and religion
Moon Molson?...
- 3/8/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
While it could be the weather or the crowds that might dissuade people from heading to the theaters this holiday season, a handful of distributors are providing plenty of reasons to stay in with plenty of films available at just the touch of a button. IFC and Magnolia continue to bring the arthouse to your house with hot festival favorites such as Lena Dunham's comedy "Tiny Furniture" and the Kerry Washington-Anthony Mackie drama "Night Catches Us" arriving on demand at the same time they hit theaters, while companies like FilmBuff and Gravitas are debuting new films from Edward Burns ("Nice Guy Johnny") and Melissa Leo ("One Night") on an array of platforms to choose from. A complete guide to what's not at your local multiplex is below.
by Stephen Saito
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Theaters
DVD
Online & VOD
Screenings
You don't even need to leave your couch to catch some of the latest releases,...
by Stephen Saito
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Theaters
DVD
Online & VOD
Screenings
You don't even need to leave your couch to catch some of the latest releases,...
- 10/21/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
”Off and Running” (Discovery section) Feature Documentary, 2009, 78 min., U.S. Director: Nicole Opper Screenwriter: Nicole Opper, Avery Klein-Cloud Producer: Sharese Bullock, Nicole Opper Executive Producers: Macky Alston, Sandra Itkoff Director of Photography: Jacob Okada Editor: Cheree Dillon Music: Daniel Bernard Roumain (Documentary, World Premiere) Synopsis: With white Jewish lesbians for parents and two adopted brothers—one mixed-race and one Korean—Brooklyn teen Avery grew up in a unique and loving household. Even …...
- 4/20/2009
- indieWIRE - People
New York -- The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program will award its fall 2008 grants to 20 films exploring several politically charged topics.
Macky Alston's "The Truth Will Set You Free" follows openly gay bishop Gene Robinson on his journey from New Hampshire to London to fight for gay church leadership. Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer's "Out in the Silence" documents the controversy over the filmmakers' marriage.
Eric Daniel Metzgar's doc "Reporter" follows New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof's trip to meet leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Two other projects also feature notable names and explore genocide: Oscar nominee Edet Belzberg's "Watchers of the Sky" and Pamela Yates' "The Reckoning."
Twelve countries are represented among the slate, including several co-productions. Priya Giri Desai and Ann S. Kim's U.S./Indian "Match +" explores an HIV-positive matchmaking service in India. Patricio Guzman's Chilean/French "Nostalgia de...
Macky Alston's "The Truth Will Set You Free" follows openly gay bishop Gene Robinson on his journey from New Hampshire to London to fight for gay church leadership. Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer's "Out in the Silence" documents the controversy over the filmmakers' marriage.
Eric Daniel Metzgar's doc "Reporter" follows New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof's trip to meet leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Two other projects also feature notable names and explore genocide: Oscar nominee Edet Belzberg's "Watchers of the Sky" and Pamela Yates' "The Reckoning."
Twelve countries are represented among the slate, including several co-productions. Priya Giri Desai and Ann S. Kim's U.S./Indian "Match +" explores an HIV-positive matchmaking service in India. Patricio Guzman's Chilean/French "Nostalgia de...
- 11/26/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Ioncinema.com presents: Best of FestsFULL Frame FESTIVALWhere: April 12 to 15, 2007 Counting Down: updateCountdownClock('April 12, 2007'); Location: Durham, North Carolina - United States Official Website: fullframefest.org/What: Founded in 1998 by Nancy Buirski, and now recognized as the premier documentary film festival in the United States by both The New York Times and indieWIRE, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival celebrates the power and artistry of documentary film. The festival is an important arena for documentary filmmakers — a place where they can showcase their work theatrically in an environment that stimulates conversation and community between other filmmakers, industry executives and the general public. Sections: (Click for more info!) Full Schedule: Power of Ten: Special Programming: Panel & Workshops8 Bit - Marcin Ramocki, Justin Strawhand Alice Sees The Light - Ariana GersteinAngels in the Dust - Louise HogarthThe Ants - Kaoru IkeyaBanished - Marco WilliamsBeyond Selinunte - Salvo CucciaBlockade - Sergei Loznitsa
- 4/11/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
Moving, thought-provoking and inspiring, the excellent documentary "Family Name" was one of the highlights of the opening weekend of Los Angeles' Outfest '97.
The debut of Alabama-born filmmaker Macky Alston is a multiracial odyssey through more than 150 years of family history that will leave few viewers unaffected.
Winner of the Freedom of Expression prize at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, "Family Name" was screened Saturday on video for an enthusiastic audience at the Directors Guild of America. In the well-crafted film, Alston tenaciously pursues unpleasant facts about his slave-owning ancestors and connections with blacks both living and dead who share his last name.
For a September run at New York's Film Forum and other theatrical engagements down the road, prints will be employed of the project, filmed on 16mm stock.
A spring playdate on PBS has already been set, and through rigorous self-promotion, the filmmakers are reaching out to gay and ethnic audiences with their challenging, uplifting experience.
With a camera crew and an agenda, expecting to find guilty whites and angry blacks with strong reactions to the practice of slaves assuming the last name of their owners, gay-rights activist Alston is surprised when few of his own relatives can provide details about the family's mid-19th century history in North Carolina. His grandmother and others are either secretive or reluctant to discuss details of a time when the Alstons owned large tracts of land and many slaves.
Through relationships with two black Alston families, the filmmaker finds out many startling facts and learns things about his own behavior that speak volumes about being gay in the 1990s. But the people he encounters -- including a courageous black classical musician and his son; the aging descendants of a well-respected black minister; and his own religious but tolerant father -- are living links in an ongoing saga that in many ways illuminates the vibrant social history of our country.
Emotions run high as Alston examines his own motivations and acts upon desires to use his acquired knowledge for some good.
A climactic concert given on a plantation, commencing with the ringing of the old "slave bell," and Alston's meeting with a contemporary, HIV-positive black also preoccupied with family history are healing moments that make for mighty stirring cinema.
From uncovering overgrown gravestones to searching through public records, "Family Name" is never dull. It even has a shocking finale that in no way diminishes the film's impact, but it does prove how risky to one's self-image are such feverish, well-intentioned explorations of the past.
FAMILY NAME
Opelika Pictures
Director Macky Alston
Producer Selina Lewis
Executive producer Nicholas Gottlieb
Associate producer Jennifer Chaiken
Narration written by Macky Alston, Kay Gayner
Director of photography Eliot Rockett
Editors Sandra Marie Christie,
Christopher White
Music Camara Kambon
Running time -- 89 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The debut of Alabama-born filmmaker Macky Alston is a multiracial odyssey through more than 150 years of family history that will leave few viewers unaffected.
Winner of the Freedom of Expression prize at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, "Family Name" was screened Saturday on video for an enthusiastic audience at the Directors Guild of America. In the well-crafted film, Alston tenaciously pursues unpleasant facts about his slave-owning ancestors and connections with blacks both living and dead who share his last name.
For a September run at New York's Film Forum and other theatrical engagements down the road, prints will be employed of the project, filmed on 16mm stock.
A spring playdate on PBS has already been set, and through rigorous self-promotion, the filmmakers are reaching out to gay and ethnic audiences with their challenging, uplifting experience.
With a camera crew and an agenda, expecting to find guilty whites and angry blacks with strong reactions to the practice of slaves assuming the last name of their owners, gay-rights activist Alston is surprised when few of his own relatives can provide details about the family's mid-19th century history in North Carolina. His grandmother and others are either secretive or reluctant to discuss details of a time when the Alstons owned large tracts of land and many slaves.
Through relationships with two black Alston families, the filmmaker finds out many startling facts and learns things about his own behavior that speak volumes about being gay in the 1990s. But the people he encounters -- including a courageous black classical musician and his son; the aging descendants of a well-respected black minister; and his own religious but tolerant father -- are living links in an ongoing saga that in many ways illuminates the vibrant social history of our country.
Emotions run high as Alston examines his own motivations and acts upon desires to use his acquired knowledge for some good.
A climactic concert given on a plantation, commencing with the ringing of the old "slave bell," and Alston's meeting with a contemporary, HIV-positive black also preoccupied with family history are healing moments that make for mighty stirring cinema.
From uncovering overgrown gravestones to searching through public records, "Family Name" is never dull. It even has a shocking finale that in no way diminishes the film's impact, but it does prove how risky to one's self-image are such feverish, well-intentioned explorations of the past.
FAMILY NAME
Opelika Pictures
Director Macky Alston
Producer Selina Lewis
Executive producer Nicholas Gottlieb
Associate producer Jennifer Chaiken
Narration written by Macky Alston, Kay Gayner
Director of photography Eliot Rockett
Editors Sandra Marie Christie,
Christopher White
Music Camara Kambon
Running time -- 89 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/16/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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