The purpose of this blog is to highlight the presence of the people of the African Diaspora in period costume dramas. It is also to provide a historical context to the films featured.
Set during the Civil War, the drama follows the true story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy: banding together with other small farmers and with the assistance of local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones.
His marriage to a former slave, Rachel, and his subsequent establishment of a mixed race community was unique in the post-war South. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is playing his mixed race wife Rachel and Mahershala Ali is playing a runaway slave named Moses Washington.
I can honestly say this is one of the first movies centered around a Confederate solider that I am actually looking forward to.
In more Zendaya film news! Deadline recently mentioned in an article that Zendaya has signed on to play Ellen Craft in the adaptation of the book, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: Or, the Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery. As of 2016 the project was in development at Alloy Entertainment and Alloy Features, with Suzanne Allain attached to script. The History : In 1848, William and Ellen Craft made an amazingly clever escape from slavery in Macon, Georgia. Ellen, the daughter of a biracial slave and her master used her light skin and features to disguise herself as a white male planter. With her husband William posing as her servant the Crafts traveled to freedom in plain sight. This will be the third period production that Zendaya will be taking part of. She was first in the 2017 musical, The Greatest Showman . In the musical the actress played one of P. T. Barnum's circus acts; a trapeze artist. News also broke of her casting as Anita Hemmings
Water White is based on the 2011 children’s book which was co-authored by Michael Bandy and Eric Stein. The film is based on a childhood experience of author Bandy and tells the story of a boy in 1963 Alabama who is obsessed with drinking water from the “Whites Only” fountain. I was drawn to this movie premise because my grandfather told me about his experience as a child in 1950’s Georgia wanting to drink from the white fountain. Like Michael, my grandfather found that the water wasn’t all he thought it would be. The narrative style and tone of the film fit perfectly as it is from the point of view of a 7 year old little boy. Watching the shenanigans that Michael and his older cousin Red get into was hilarious. Amir and Amari O'Neil were perfectly cast as Michael. Although twins they played the character in the same way. I was not even aware that Michael was being played by twins until I looked up the trailer to write this review. I was also impressed by the actin
I am so glad the live musicals on NBC are back! They've made some really great ones and I always enjoy watching them with my family. This time around we get to see one of my musical favorites, Annie! The 7-time Tony Award-winning musical is coming to NBC as a LIVE event featuring an all-star cast this Thursday at 8/7c on NBC. Annie Live! stars little Celina Smith as Annie, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Tituss Burgess as Rooster Hannigan, Harry Connick, Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace Farrell, and Megan Hilty as Lily St. Regis.
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