THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION
Opens at Film Forum on Wed., September 2 and at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 on Fri., September 11; National Rollout to Follow.
Film Forum will present the U.S. theatrical premiere of THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION, the latest film from renowned documentarian Stanley Nelson whose many credits include FREEDOM RIDERS and THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL. The first feature-length documentary to explore the history and lasting cultural impact of the Black Panther Party, the film will open in New York on Wednesday, September 2 at Film Forum and on Friday September 11 at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9. It will roll out nationally through September and the fall.
The rise and fall of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s and beyond is a uniquely American story of a growing pride in black culture, and more militant demands for justice and racial equality, with a cast of larger-than-life personalities including: Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver, and Fred Hampton. Director Stanley Nelson masterfully assembles rare archival footage that contextualizes the history of the Panthers—begun in response to racism and police brutality. Surviving members of the organization are interviewed alongside retired police officers, FBI informants, journalists, and others—all of whom reflect back in great detail on the events that defined the Panthers’ turbulent late ‘60s era.
THE BLACK PANTHERS does not hesitate to critique its subject, nor does it shy away from judging the corrupt activities of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI or the countless shoot-outs, raids and arrests that were the response of local police. It is a vibrant chronicle of a pivotal movement and a history that needs to be told to understand today’s still incendiary racial landscape.
The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore said: “The film continues a discussion whose present-day relevance is painfully, increasingly obvious. Adding a bounty of excellent archival photographs and some good political soul on the soundtrack.”
