I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Dick Fontaine follows James Baldwin on an epic journey through haunted spaces of the southern US where crucial events in the fight for civil rights took place. Though Baldwin’s presence and words guide this emotional trip, he is often the one asking questions, making room for others to speak. An astonishing array of civil rights activists, leaders and writers—including his brother David—join Baldwin at the sites of traumatic turning points, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Selma and Philadelphia, Mississippi.  and presence to events that inevitably recall more recent crimes. Alongside the violence, Baldwin also finds wisdom and community, bravery and determination, joy and creativity. Unlike the “irrelevant” civil rights monuments Baldwin decries, this film stands as a vital, moving testament to the multitude of horrors, victories and voices that make up a complicated, endless battle. (Brittany Gravely)