Annie lennox says online criticism leveled at her remarks about the antilynching song strange fruit was hurtful and unfair. Strange fruit all over the world still crazy movie. Trump warned michael moore not to make a film about him in. Strange fruit is a 2004 film written and directed by kyle schickner and starring kent faulcon as william boyals and berlinda tolbert as emma ayers. Filmmaker jason pollock delivers an in depth look at the case of michael brown in an effort. Billie holidays singing had nothing like the velvet beauty of sarah vaughans or the rhythmic agility of ella fitzgeralds, and yet. Strange fruit in the hands of many singers, strange fruit feels like a period piece, more of a memorial than a protest song. Such lynchings had reached a peak in the southern united states at the turn of the century. The first video from yevisual with post and fx in 2012. Regardless of age, language or cultural background, strange fruit are dedicated to producing invigorating and. Originally using the working title jordan is so chilly, smith later changed the title to strange fruit prior to its publication. Written by teacher abel meeropol as a poem and published in 1937, it protested american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans. Moved by the infamous photograph taken that night, abel meeropol, a jewish high school teacher in new york city, wrote a protest song entitled, strange fruit. Strange fruit was an early cry for civil rightssome might even say it was the beginning of the civil rights movement.
Strange fruit, a 14 minute short written and directed by anabelle munro, is a heartfelt film about the touchy subject abortion and about how the truth can. Strange fruit explores the tribulations of william boyals, a successful new york lawyer and gay africanamerican who comes home to the life from which he escaped to investigate the lynching of his alsogay childhood friend, kelvin. In his excellent documentary, also called strange fruit, filmmaker joel katz takes a fascinating look at the origins and impact of a ballad thats been called one of ten songs that changed the. The first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. First recorded in 1939, the protest song strange fruit came to symbolise the brutality and racism of the practice of lynching in americas south. Stranger fruit is a 2017 american documentary film about the 2014 shooting of michael brown by a ferguson, missouri police officer.
A gay black lawyer kent faulcon travels from new york to louisiana to investigate the murder of an old friend. The socialhistorical context of american racism and apartheid is never far below the surface of the blues, but the words of the poem strange fruit, sung by tragic billie holiday, transcend music and entertainment, and need to etched in our souls forever. The strange story of the man behind strange fruit one of billie holidays most iconic songs is strange fruit, a haunting protest against the inhumanity of. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as. Indeed, in the decades since strange fruit, it has become common for black music to incorporate political statements, challenge social norms, and express frustration with the state of race relations. Shimi asresay and hili noy graduation short film from bezalel academy of art and design, jerusalem. Rent strange fruit 2004 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix.
Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Watch strange fruit online stream full movie directv. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Eunice kathleen waymon 21 february 1933 21 april 2003, better known by her stage name nina simone, was an american singersongwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Annie lennox says strange fruit criticism was painful. The story of a song archived 20121001 at the wayback machine retrieved 28 july.
Between the years of 1877 and 1950, over 3,500 blacks were killed in violent forms of mob justice known as lynching. The peaceful daily routine of father and son is interrupted by an encounter of an unfamiliar boy, different from them in color. Short animated film that contrasts pastoral scenes of the old south with the racial violence that occured during the jim crow era in the united states. The film focuses on the personal lives of the band members and those closest to them, and their.
With dorothy thigpen, milton gabler, farah jasmine griffin, c. Strange fruit 2012 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. In the 1930s, billie was known as a performer of jazz and blues music, but this song wasnt either of those things. The film showed previously unpublished surveillance video that director jason pollack alleges was concealed from jury members and. Strange fruit explores the history and legacy of a song unique in the annals of american music. Strange fruit 2004 as a gay africanamerican, william boyals kent faulcon has escaped his small, racist hometown in louisiana for a better life in new york city, where he now works as a. A few months ago, i saw strange fruit for the first time. Strange fruit is a 2004 film written and directed by kyle schickner and starring kent faulcon as.
Strange fruit project a dreamers journey, released 01 september 2011 1. Strange fruit is a song performed by billie holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Strange fruit instrumental by dunk tha funk, released 09 february 2012. Strange fruit is the first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. A successful, homosexual african american lawyer working in new york returns to the rural louisiana town in which he was raised to investigate the lynching death of his childhood friend, only to discover that the virulent racism and homophobia still holds power over the smalltown citizens in director kyle schickners searing, socially conscious drama.
Sep 05, 2012 the strange story of the man behind strange fruit one of billie holidays most iconic songs is strange fruit, a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Still crazy is the critically acclaimed, golden globe nominated comedy which follows the hilarious exploits of a 70s rock phenomenon strange fruit as they reunite 20 years after a nasty breakup and attempt to recapture their fame and fortune. Strange fruit the beatles apple records beatles blog. Billie holidays label wouldnt touch strange fruit smart. Strange fruit is a film about a song that protests a human atrocity. It protested american racism, particularly the lynching of black americans. Strange fruit song analysis final ballades, beats and. Watch strange fruit starring kent faulcon in this drama on directv. Strange fruit all over the world still crazy movie youtube. Still crazy tells the story of the strange fruit, a rock band that broke up in the 70s at the peak of their popularity at a large rock festival. Once dubbed reagan country for the staunchness of its republicanism, it sends right. Strange fruit is a song recorded by billie holiday in 1939, written by abel meeropol and published in 1937. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever.
Strange fruit gained popularity in the civil rights movement as men, such as the jazz writer leonard feather, called strange fruit the first. Unfortunately the songs relevance seems to deepen in our world today. They then signed singerwriter jackie lomax, mary hopkin, the iveys, james taylor and others. Stranger fruit is the story of what happened to mike brown, told through the eyes of those closest to him. After his sister, katie, commits suicide to release herself from a dismantled life, vic finally confronts the psychopath who raped and abused her in her youth, which lead her into a dysfunctional. In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, bronxborn high school teacher abel meeropol wrote a poem entitled strange fruit that begins with the words. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday. Strange fruit short film center for pastoral excellence. The plot concerns a fictional 1970s rock band named strange fruit, who, after being split up for two decades, are persuaded to get back together to perform at a reunion of the same concert venue where they played their last gig. The following information was written and submitted by laura ellis, producer of the radio program strange fruit at 89. What da heck posted by chicogarcia on january 31, 2012. Taken from the still crazy soundtrack featuring the brilliant bill nighy and billy connelly. This history of the songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas r. It condemned american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans that had occurred chiefly in the south but also in all regions of the united states.
We chat about his robust career in theater and film and fleming shares his commitment to making. The short film strange fruit is a comparison and contrast between the lynching and hangings that once frequently occurred in the south to the recent officer involved shootings of african americans. The entry was added to the notable kentucky african americans database with permission from laura ellis. On that hot summer day, officer darren wilson killed 18yearold michael brown. What really happened on august 9th, 2014 in ferguson, missouri.
Short animated film that contrasts pastoral scenes of the old south with the racial violence that occured during the. Download full strange fruit book in pdf, epub, mobi and all ebook format. Southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root. Excellent film about a once famous band from the 70s trying to reignite their careers.
On august 7, 1930, two africanamerican teenagers, thomas shipp and abram smith, were lynched by a violent mob in marion, indiana. Bestknown from billie holidays haunting 1939 rendition, the song strange fruit is a harrowing. The song strange fruit was written by lewis allan and was first released by billie holiday and her orchestra in 1939. Strange fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by american author lillian smith that deals with the thenforbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. The beatles apple records is the story of a record label which came to exist under extraordinary. Strange fruit is a melbournebased performing arts company that produces and performs a remarkable style of work that fuses theatre, dance. Our film is available on over 20 platforms nationwide. The audience was completely silent the first time billie holiday performed a song called strange fruit. This history of the songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. If we expand the meaning of the term strange fruit to. Jun 30, 2017 the first time i heard billie holidays rendition of strange fruit i was confused. That afternoon, officer darren wilson killed 18yearold michael brown. Many protest songs were written about this subject, but only some had as much an impact as strange fruit. Rent strange fruit 2004 starring kent faulcon and berlinda tolbert on dvd and bluray.
It was so haunting, both the song and the film, that i couldnt get it out of my mind. Disturbed by a photograph of a lynching, abel meeropol wrote the stark verse and brooding melody about the horror of lynching under the pseudonym lewis allan in. With standout performances from stephen rea, billy connolly, bill nighy and juliet aubrey, the comically bittersweet film combines the raucous. Twenty years later, the band members are all struggling to make a living, and are offered the opportunity to play a concert at. Since the companys inception in 1994, strange fruit have performed at over 600 international festivals in over 52 countries, to well over 5 million people. Strange fruit may have been written by american songwriter and. Mar 29, 2014 the film is quite long 162 minutes, and it is loaded with history and musicstrange fruit the beatles apple records tells how the label began working on projects, beginning with the production of the film the magical mystery tour. Still crazy is a 1998 british comedy film directed by brian gibson. Strange fruit radio program, louisville, ky notable. While many people assume strange fruit was written by billie holiday, it actually began as a poem by a jewish schoolteacher and union activist from the bronx, who later set it to music. Jones script once again proves their status as two of the most versatile comics writers working today. Diana ross, lou rawls and cassandra wilson, whose bluesy version closes the film.
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