Stamped from the Beginning
Guests Expected
Director Roger Ross Williams is expected to attend.
Description
Adapting Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning history of the same name, Roger Ross Williams tackles the history of racist imagery, policies, stories, and institutions that deform American society. The film also dismantles several myths that deny Black people their own agency and legacy in artistic and political realms. From the origins of slavery to Black Lives Matter, Williams uses a comprehensive range of archival footage, animation, and reenactments alongside piercing interviews with academics, politicians, and Kendi himself to expose how racism demeans and disfigures everyone. Portraits of Harriet Jacobs, who writes the first slave narrative by a woman, and Ida B. Wells, who conducts invaluable research on lynching while it’s happening around her, are just two of the compelling stories portrayed. The film also points the way forward, proposing the active disposition required to develop an anti-racist mentality that could be key in healing our communities.
Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams was born in South Carolina, USA. His many documentaries include the Oscar-winning short Music by Prudence (2013), God Loves Uganda (Festival 2013), Life, Animated (Festival 2016), American Jail (18), The Apollo (Doc Stories Opening Night 2019), High on the Hog (21), Love to Love You, Donna Summer (23) and episodes of The 1619 Project (23). His narrative feature debut Cassandro was recently presented by SFFILM. Stamped from the Beginning is his latest work.
Film Details
Language English
Year 2023
Premiere USA
Runtime 85
Country USA
Director Roger Ross Williams
Executive Producer Geoff Martz, Mara Brock Akil, Susie Fitzgerald, Dr. Ibram X. Kend
Producer Alisa Payne, Roger Ross Williams, David Teague
Editor John Fisher, Francesca Sharper
Cinematographer Wolfgang Held
Music Nate Wonder, Roman Gianarthur
Closed Captions Closed captions are available for this screening.
Audio Description Audio descriptions are not available for this screening.
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is not currently scheduled for this event. For more information about ASL interpretation at our events, e-mail ADA@SFFilm.org.
