I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.

Director:

Raoul Peck

Writers:

James Baldwin (writings), Raoul Peck (scenario)

Stars:

Samuel L. Jackson, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 28 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Narration (voice)
James Baldwin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Martin Luther King	...	Himself (archive footage)
Malcolm X	...	Himself (archive footage)
Medgar Evers	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert F. Kennedy	...	Himself (archive footage)
Harry Belafonte	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul Weiss	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dick Cavett	...	Himself (archive footage)
H. Rap Brown	...	Himself - Black Panther Party (archive footage)
Bob Dylan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Leander Perez	...	Himself - White Citizens Council (archive footage)
Sidney Poitier	...	Various Roles (archive footage)
Ray Charles	...	Himself (archive footage)
Doris Day	...	Various Roles (archive footage)

Storyline

In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, "Remember This House." The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of this manuscript. Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished.

---

Plot Keywords:

martin luther king | malcolm x | police brutality | african american | racism | 

---

Taglines:

In "Remember This House" Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished -a radical narration about race in America, through the lives and assassinations of three of his friends: Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcolm X. using only the writer's original words.

---

Genres:

Documentary

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing violent images, thematic material, language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Instagram

Country:

Switzerland France Belgium USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

17 February 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Remember This House

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$686,378, 3 February 2017, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$7,120,626, 2 June 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARTE France,Independent Lens,RTBF (Télévision belge)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was deemed Best Documentary by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, took home the People's Choice Award from the Toronto International Film Festival and won a creative recognition award from the International Documentary Association, to name a few.

---

Quotes

James Baldwin: The world is not white. It never was white, cannot be white. White is a metaphor for power, and that is simply a way of describing Chase Manhattan Bank.

---

Connections

Features The Pajama Game (1957)

---

Soundtracks

The Jailhouse Blues
Lyrics and Music Written by Lightnin Hopkins (as Sam Hopkins)
Tradition Music Co.
Courtesy of BMG Rights Management (France)
Performed by Sam Collins (1927)
Courtesy of Yazoo Records/Shanachie Entertainment, Inc.

User Reviews

An amazing use of cinematography and historical footage

Note that the reason this is 5/10 stars right now is that there is a large bloc of people who have given it 1 star (presumably the white supremacist crowd). There is no way that anyone who believes in the need to tell black history would give this anything less than an 8/10.

This cinematography was absolutely incredible, the use of historical footage to stitch together a narrative of the Civil Rights movement combined with recent footage makes this movie incredibly timely. James Baldwin proves a brilliant orator, and the story takes you through both his life and his relationships with Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers. This movie tells more black history than I learned in my entire public school education, and should be seen by everyone.