Strange Fruit (2002)

In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, Bronx-born high school teacher Abel Meeropol wrote a poem entitled "Strange Fruit" that begins with the ... See full summary »

Director:

Joel Katz

Writer:

Joel Katz

Stars:

Dorothy Thigpen, Amina Baraka, Amiri Baraka

4 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Dorothy Thigpen	...	Narrator (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amina Baraka	...	Herself
Amiri Baraka	...	Himself
E.M. 'Woody' Beck	...	Himself
Don Byron	...	Himself (archive footage)
Hazel Carby	...	Herself
Michael Denning	...	Himself
Henry Foner	...	Himself
Milton Gabler	...	Himself (as Milt Gabler)
Farah Jasmine Griffin	...	Herself
Billie Holiday	...	Herself (archive footage)
Robert Howard	...	Himself
Bernie Kassoy	...	Himself
Honey Kassoy	...	Herself
Abbey Lincoln	...	Herself

Storyline

In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, Bronx-born high school teacher Abel Meeropol wrote a poem entitled "Strange Fruit" that begins with the words: "Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root." He set the poem to music and a few years later convinced Billy holiday to record it in a legendary heartbreaking performance. Intertwining jazz genealogy, biography, performance footage, and the history of lynching, director Joel Katz fashions a fascinating discovery of the lost story behind a true American classic.

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Plot Keywords:

lynching | song | singer | billie holiday | racism | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Outo hedelmä

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

57 min

Color:

Black and White Color

User Reviews

A Very Compelling Documentary

While the draw for many would be Billie Holiday's interpretation of this famous song, it is the background stories that make this film so engaging.

This film peels away the popular veneer from the song Billie Holiday once claimed she wrote, revealing many intriguing layers. Not only do we delve into the racism that bore this song, but also the interactions between racism, the early labor movement, McCarthyism, and popular culture. Everywhere this documentary's journey takes us, there are the fearful reactionaries meeting the creative and hopeful artists and activists... All of it brilliantly, patiently intertwined and paced by the filmmaker. So patiently executed in fact, I was led into a mid-film, historically surprising plot twist without a clue it was coming.

Yet, with all this depth and craft, the documentary remains very easy to watch.