Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > Indie Lens Pop-Up, AETN to host free screening of 'I Am Not Your Negro' in Little Rock
Posted 04 Jan 2018
Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, Independent Lens and the Arkansas Educational Television Network, will host a free screening of Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro," a 2017 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary, Saturday, Jan. 13, at 2 p.m. at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. The event is free and open to the public.
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, to be called "Remember This House." The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends – Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. But, at the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of his manuscript.
Now, in this provocative documentary, filmmaker Peck envisions the book Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson, and a flood of rich archival material. "I Am Not Your Negro" is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassinations of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
"I Am Not Your Negro" will premiere Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. on AETN.
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS's "Independent Lens," Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders and organizations together to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships. For those unable to attend in person, "Independent Lens" shares information on Facebook about online Pop-Up events.
The Arkansas Educational Television Network is Arkansas's only statewide public media network, which enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through the distinct channels AETN PBS, AETN Create, AETN PBS KIDS, AETN World and AETN AIRS on SAP. Audiences can also watch on several digital platforms, and members with AETN Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at aetn.org. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).