Jan, 2010 Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream

Thursday, January 7,  7pm,
FREE ADMISSION
Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream
Ice Theaters Chatham
210 West 87th Street
Chicago, IL 60620

Directed by black British director John Akomfrah, Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream presents a remarkable portrait of courage in the face of hatred, of a man who forced change through the sheer strength of his indomitable spirit.  Rarely has one man done so much to change the politics and conscience of the nation. Like too many others, he paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most loved, respected, feared and influential leaders in American history. In life, he helped transform the nation’s outlook. In death, he became a martyr to the cause for which he labored. In this one-of-a-kind look at his life and work, writer/director Tom Friedman explores how Dr. King’s ideas, thoughts and causes evolved in the face of the rapidly changing climate of the Civil Rights Movement. Rare footage and photographs illustrate the defining moments of his crusade, from the first stirrings of his activism in Alabama to his time as the pre-eminent voice for racial justice in America.
[vimeo 8817655 600]

Originally made for the BBC series “Reputations.” documentary profiles examining well-known personalities around the world, the film is a revealing portrait of the private life and inner struggles of Martin Luther King Jr. Champion of non-violent protest and martyr of the Civil Rights Movement. The film tells the story of Dr. King?s childhood and formative years, his early triumphs for Civil Rights and his personal sacrifices, his wilderness years and his rise to international prominence.

In the 42 years since his assassination, the image of the champion of non-violent protest has been tarnished by FBI-inspired rumours of womanising and adultery. This film reveals how, though riven with self-doubt and under threat of death, Dr King nevertheless challenged America to live up to its own ideals. The film examines King’s evolving radicalization through his moral opposition to the Vietnam War, delving into areas of American foreign policy that few black civil right leaders dared to challenge

Awards: Best Archive, Best Documentary, The Peoples.Award Delhi International Film Festival 1998.