Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwins original words and flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
The documentary received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 99% based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "I Am Not Your Negro offers an incendiary snapshot of James Baldwin's crucial observations on American race relations—and a sobering reminder of how far we've yet to go." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 96 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The film received low user-generated ratings upon its release on IMDb and Metacritic, leading to accusations of vote brigading.
Joe Morgenstern from the Wall Street Journal said, "the film is unsparing as history and enthralling as biography. It's an evocation of a passionate soul in a tumultuous era, a film that uses Baldwin’s spoken words, and his notes for an unfinished book, to illuminate the struggle for civil rights."
Film Participants include: James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Dick Cavett, Marlon Brando, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and many more.
Host: Anita Johnson
Staff Producers: Anita Johnson, Marie Choi, Monica Lopez, R.J. Lozada
Executive Director: Lisa Rudman
Audience Engagement Manager: Sabine Blaizin
Development Associate: Vera Tykulsker
Thank You's and Credits:
Director Raoul Peck
Magnolia Pictures
Amazon Studios
- KBOO