Sydney Film Festival 2017 - Film Review - I Am Not Your Negro

James Baldwin - I Am Not Your Negro

Raoul Peck's documentary takes a different look at the era of the Civil Rights movement  in the United States and three of its key figures, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr through the eyes of writer, poet, playwright  James Baldwin and his unfinished manuscript, Remember this House. Baldwin knew all three men and had himself returned to the US in 1957 from France where he had been living when the civil rights legislation was being debated in Congress. He later returned to France in 1970 remaining there writing until his death in 1987.

The film itself is anchored in Baldwin's personal reminiscences of the civil rights leaders, his own experiences including archival footage of interviews and his observations and analysis of American history. Baldwin takes a more layered and in-depth examination of race relations in the United States examining in particular the importance of economic standing and poverty as major factor of influence.
The film was produced with the assistance of the Baldwin estate and attracted a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards.

VERDICT
Rating out of 10	7
DVD or download ?	Download
Worth a cinema ticket ?	No
Collectible Yes or No	No