Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Interracial "Loving" on the Big Screen


Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Amidst the horrifying sound bites and statistics that (Republican) folks in Mississippi still believe that interracial marriage should be against the law, it's refreshing to hear that a film documenting the historic court case of the Lovings vs the Supreme Court of the United States will soon be seen on the big screen.

A new documentary, The Loving Story is about to premier at the Tribeca Film Festivalin New York City. From the Film Festival website:

" Through stunning archival footage of the Lovings, the film revisits this public battle through the eyes of a private couple who simply wanted to have the right to get married and live in the place they called home.

Director Nancy Buirski reacquaints us with this famous couple with the same grace and elegance of the soft-spoken but driven Mildred Loving herself, and subsequently breathes vibrant new life into history. Beyond the trials and legal battles, Buirski delicately anchors this inspiring film in an engaging human love story with a timely message of marriage equality, echoing the words of Mildred on the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision: "I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about
."

The first showing in New York City is tomorrow, April 21. Anybody in the area, please go see it and tell us how it is. Hopefully the film will generate enough interest and be shown across the country. I know I'll do my part to bring it to Philly.

Do you want to see it? Tell me why?

I'm listening.

Peace.

p.s. I hope everyone caught the first episode of Black in Latin America last night. If not, tune in next Tuesday when they discuss Cuba.

3 comments:

lifeexplorerdiscovery said...

The minute people stop believing that 2011 is somehow a magical year in which Jim Crow type racism no longer exists, they will start to realize society is just as racist as it was 50 years ago, its just more covert about it. I am not surprised one bit that republicans are still anti-interracial relationships.

I know plenty of republicans who say they would never date a black person (although in one person's case they said it was only because they didn't feel like dealing with all the drama and work that comes with making interracial relations work which I could understand how she felt on that).

As for the film, I don't really care much for it. Sure, I probably wouldn't exist if not for them(even though my parents never married and I don't know my dad at all)but I find their story rather depressing (especially when he died a few years later).

Ernessa T. Carter said...

The dying soon after bit saddens me, too, but I can't wait to see this documentary. There's much on her life after he died, and I hope they cover that territory. Hopefully it'll either come to LA or Netflix soon.

Professor Tharps said...

LED,
Good points all around. And yes, the Loving story doesn't exactly have a happy ending.

Ernessa,
I can't wait to see it too. I do hope it travels.