Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (2022)
95%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power is a documentary that is both informative and captivating. The film delves into the history of Lowndes County, Alabama, and its pivotal role in the Black Power movement. With a plethora of archival footage and interviews with residents, activists, and historians, the film paints a vivid picture of the struggles and triumphs of the community. While some critics have criticized the film’s editorial structure, it is undeniable that the filmmakers have done an excellent job of highlighting the power of grassroots activism in effecting change. Overall, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of the civil rights movement and the ongoing fight for racial justice.
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power is a documentary that will make you laugh, cry, and learn something new all at the same time. With a mix of vivid archival footage and interviews with residents, activists, and historians, this film tells the story of the Black Power movement in a way that is both accessible and passionate. Sure, it may be a bit of a mess editorially, but who cares when you’re having this much fun? So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to be inspired by the power of grassroots activism.
Production Company(ies)
Participant, Peacock, Social, Topical, VOD
Distributor
Greenwich Entertainment
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Alabama, United States
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
2022
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 29m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 2022 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 2, 2022
Genre(s)
Documentary/History
Keyword(s)
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, documentary, history, Stokely Carmichael, Martin Luther King Jr., Ella Baker, Geeta Gandbhir, Samuel D Pollard, Jessica Devaney, Anya Rous, Dema Paxton Fofang, Dema Paxton Fofang, Greenwich Entertainment, civil rights, Black voting rights, Alabama, SNCC, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, archival footage, community activism, grassroots activism, racial inequality, voter suppression, discrimination, segregation, racial justice, political significance, educational, informative, inspiring, powerful, thought-provoking, eye-opening, moving, emotional, historical, educational, limited release, streaming, in-theaters, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, reviewed by Robert Daniels, Peyton Robinson, Martin Tsai, Todd Jorgenson, Jared Mobarak, Mark Dujsik, Stephen Saito
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,500
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $4,500
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,792
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Martin Luther King Jr. – Self
Ella Baker – Self
Geeta Gandbhir – Director
Samuel D. Pollard – Director
Dema Paxton Fofang – Writer
Director(s)
Geeta Gandbhir, Samuel D. Pollard
Writer(s)
Dema Paxton Fofang
Producer(s)
Jessica Devaney, Anya Rous, Dema Paxton Fofang
Film Festivals
Tribeca
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (7) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (7)
It is, quite simply, one of the best documentaries of the year.
December 3, 2022 | Rating: A
Robert Daniels
The Playlist
TOP CRITIC
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power is accessible, passionate, and motivated by the principle of community that led to the Black Power movement.
December 2, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peyton Robinson
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
Immensely edifying, with a copious amount of vivid archival footage and interviews with Lowndes County residents both Black and white, as well as activists and historians. But editorially, it’s a mess.
June 19, 2022
Martin Tsai
TheWrap
TOP CRITIC
Connecting past and present, the film powerfully casts a new light on the civil rights struggle while saluting the power of grassroots activism in creating change.
December 2, 2022
Todd Jorgenson
Cinemalogue
The film enriches that which we know in generic terms with the specificity only lived-in experience can provide.
December 2, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
Jared Mobarak
Hey, Have You Seen …?
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power … serve[s] as a detailed primer for the place’s historical and political significance.
December 1, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies
Gandbhir and Pollard are able to lay their hands on some startling footage, but paint an equally vivid picture around it as they interview those that are still standing today in Lowndes, no doubt because they stood up for themselves.
June 26, 2022
Stephen Saito
Moveable Fest…
Plot
The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 represented not the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement, but the beginning of a new chapter. Nowhere was this next battle better epitomized than in Lowndes County, Alabama, a rural, impoverished county with a history of racist terrorism. In a county that was 80 percent Black but had zero Black voters, laws were just paper without power. Through first person accounts and archival footage, the film tells the story of the local movement and young Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) organizers who fought not just for voting rights, but for Black Power in Lowndes County. Inspired by the writings of Vann R. Newkirk II.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels lists Ella Baker, Stokely Carmichael, and Martin Luther King as stars of the film, but they only appear in archive footage.
Geeta-Gandbhir.jpg
