EXCLUSIVE: Award-winning filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson are embarking on a major documentary about actor-singer-activist Paul Robeson, one of the most important figures in American culture of the 20th century.
Rise Films, Rada Studio, and Impact Partners are joining forces on the project. Academy Award nominee Teddy Leifer (All That Breathes) and Guy Horlock of Rise Films will produce with Stephenson, Brewster, and Susan Robeson, the granddaughter of Paul Robeson.
At a time when virtually every door to opportunity was shut to African Americans, Robeson (1898-1976) achieved enormous feats – becoming a star football player at Rutgers and later earning his law degree from Columbia University while playing in the nascent NFL. On stage, he earned renown as the lead in productions of Shakespeare’s Othello and in Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones and All God’s Chillun Got Wings. As a concert soloist, he became famed for his bass-baritone voice, which he displayed to great effect in the stage and film versions of Show Boat, singing the musical’s signature song “Ol’ Man River.”
As a political activist, he opposed the fascists in the Spanish Civil War, supported the movement for an independent India, and expressed sympathetic views towards the Soviet Union – which would result in him being investigated by the FBI and targeted in a suspected CIA campaign to neutralize him.
“Gen Zers and young millennials point to recognized buildings and monuments emblazoned with his name, knowing nothing about who he was or his gargantuan contributions,” notes a release about the project. “Little do they know that Robeson’s legacy lives on in many aspects of our lives. As an artist, he broke barriers. As an activist he took an unapologetic stance on the causes closest to his heart, which came at great cost, but that laid the foundations for the civil rights and Black Power movements that were to follow him.”
As Deadline reported, Stephenson and Brewster will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at DOC NYC later this month. Their credits include the Sundance and Primetime Emmy-winning Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (2023), Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games (2023), and American Promise (2013). Stephenson’s documentary True North premiered in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Directing a film about Paul Robeson represents a significant achievement in our careers,” Brewster and Stephenson said in a statement. “Robeson’s legacy as a multifaceted artist and activist resonates deeply in today’s social climate. We believe that sharing his story honors his contributions and inspires new generations to engage in the ongoing fight for justice and equality. We hope to honor Robeson’s legacy through our delicate and intentional approach to his story.”
Producer Susan Robeson commented, “This is the first time the Robeson Family Trust has agreed to fully open our archive to non-fiction filmmakers. The estate has been approached countless times over the past twenty-five years, but we’ve waited for the right team to emerge. Paul was a transformative global force as an artist and activist. His story requires visionary filmmakers and we’ve found that in Michèle, Joe, and Rise Films.”
From Impact Partners, executive producers are Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Kelsey Koenig, Bill & Ruth Ann Harnisch – The Harnisch Foundation, Adam & Melony Lewis, Meadow Fund, and Jim & Susan Swartz. Co-executive producers are Chris Boeckmann, Natasha & David Dolby, Marni E. J. Grossman, Dwight & Kirsten Poler, and Katrina vanden Heuvel. The film is produced in association with The deNovo Initiative.
For the project, David Matlin represented Rise Films; Ivan D. Smith represented The Robeson Family Trust.
In 1989, historian Martin Bauml Duberman published an acclaimed biography of Roberson. A description notes the course of Robeson’s life, from artist to activist: “Robeson became increasingly vocal about defending black civil rights and criticizing Western imperialism, and his radical views ran counter to the country’s evermore conservative posture. During the McCarthy period, Robeson’s passport was lifted, he was denounced as a traitor, and his career was destroyed. Yet he refused to bow. His powerful and tragic story is emblematic of the major themes of twentieth-century history.”
The post Emmy Winners Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson To Direct Documentary On Paul Robeson, Giant Of 20th Century Arts, Entertainment, Politics appeared first on Deadline.
