Bringing King to China
Encyclopedia
Bringing King to China is a 2011 documentary film by Kevin McKiernan
. The cinematographers include three-time Oscar-winner Haskell Wexler
.
The documentary is "a father's 'love letter' to his adult daughter, a young American woman struggling to bring Martin Luther King, Jr.
's dream of nonviolence
to China, and then back to the United States. Her life is thrown into turmoil when she learns, mistakenly, that her father, a journalist covering the war in Iraq, has been killed by a suicide bomber."
Bringing King to China conveys the lead character's "dream to build a bridge between the societies by talking about peaceful struggle and universal rights." It chronicles her struggle to interpret and adapt King's message for Chinese society, preserve the historical accuracy of the U.S. civil rights movement, clear bureaucratic hurdles before opening night and raise funds to pay the theater company. The film takes American viewers backstage at the National Theatre of China, as Chinese actors rehearse with African-American gospel singers.
The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
and won best documentary at the Ventura International Film Festival and the Tulsa International Film Festival. In 2011, it was scheduled to screen at film festivals across the US, including DOCNYC and the St. Louis International Film Festival
.
Commentators called the film timely, noting it premiered in the lead-up to the unveiling of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Kevin McKiernan
Kevin McKiernan is a veteran foreign correspondent and documentary filmmaker.McKiernan's work, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, has taken him to some of the world's most troubled regions, from Nicaragua to Iraq, from West Africa to Afghanistan. He has been widely published in national and...
. The cinematographers include three-time Oscar-winner Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, film producer, and director. Wexler was judged to be one of film history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.-Early life and education:Wexler was born to a Jewish...
.
The documentary is "a father's 'love letter' to his adult daughter, a young American woman struggling to bring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
's dream of nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
to China, and then back to the United States. Her life is thrown into turmoil when she learns, mistakenly, that her father, a journalist covering the war in Iraq, has been killed by a suicide bomber."
Bringing King to China conveys the lead character's "dream to build a bridge between the societies by talking about peaceful struggle and universal rights." It chronicles her struggle to interpret and adapt King's message for Chinese society, preserve the historical accuracy of the U.S. civil rights movement, clear bureaucratic hurdles before opening night and raise funds to pay the theater company. The film takes American viewers backstage at the National Theatre of China, as Chinese actors rehearse with African-American gospel singers.
The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
and won best documentary at the Ventura International Film Festival and the Tulsa International Film Festival. In 2011, it was scheduled to screen at film festivals across the US, including DOCNYC and the St. Louis International Film Festival
St. Louis International Film Festival
The St. Louis International Film Festival is an annual film festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1992. The coordinating organization changed its name to "Cinema St. Louis" in 2003...
.
Commentators called the film timely, noting it premiered in the lead-up to the unveiling of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.