Directed by Martin Ritt • 1972 • United States
Starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks
Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield received Academy Award nominations for their powerful performances as the heads of a Black sharecropping family whose fierce love keeps them afloat as they struggle to get by in Depression-era Louisiana. When Nathan (Winfield) resorts to stealing food in desperation, he is sentenced to a year in prison—leaving his eldest son, David (Kevin Hooks), to help his mother, Rebecca (Tyson), keep the family going. With immense compassion and a rich feeling for the Southern period setting, director Martin Ritt sketches a profoundly human portrait of resilience in the face of adversity.
Up Next in Celebrate Black History
-
A Dream Is What You Wake Up From
Directed by Larry Bullard and Carolyn Johnson • 1978 • United States
Through a bold mix of narrative and documentary techniques, directors Carolyn Johnson and Larry Bullard explore the experiences of Black families in American society. Shuffling between day-to-day scenes of life at home, school,...
-
. . . But Then, She’s Betty Carter
Directed by Michelle Parkerson • 1980 • United States
This lively film is an unforgettable portrait of legendary jazz vocalist Betty Carter. Refusing to bow to commercial demands throughout her long career, Carter forged an alternative criteria for success—including founding her own recording co...
-
Remnants of the Watts Festival
Directed by Ulysses Jenkins • 1980 • United States
In 1972 and ’73, Ulysses Jenkins and the collective from Venice, California, known as Video Venice News documented the Watts Summer Festival—a major Black cultural event established in 1966 to commemorate the Watts Rebellion that jolted the Los ...
