Whether you marched in the civil rights movement, personally experience, or know a visible minority who continues to experience racism in our society today (sadly, incidents of crimes against humanity, discrimination and racism are still reported regularly), Sidney is a documentary portrait of the late, great Sidney Poitier. Produced by Oprah Winfrey & Derik and directed by Reginald Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang, Marshall), this piece showcases his films, life story, and litany of accomplishments as an artist and activist who forever changed what it means to be Black in America.
Poitier’s own words provide the narration of his life. Woven together is a rich mix of archive footage and contemporary interviews with a stellar group of interview subjects — from the late cultural critic Greg Tate to Halle Berry, Denzel Washington to Spike Lee, to Barbra Streisand, and Oprah.
Poitier’s contemporaries and the holders of his legacy detail just how extraordinary his rise was, from early failure at the American Negro Theater to Oscar-nominated roles in films like The Defiant Ones, to becoming the living, big-screen embodiment of America’s hopes for racial justice.
Poitier’s rise to stardom occurred in tandem with his commitment to social change, marching for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr., and helping to usher Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a milestone in portraying Black American experience, from Broadway to the big screen.
Watching signature scenes from his films, getting a glimpse of rare footage from his life beyond Hollywood, and seeing how pivotal his life and example has been for so many of today’s icons, it’s clear that there never was and never can be a figure quite like Sidney Poitier.
The movie premiered at TIFF 2022. I was there as accredited media working the red carpet. It was an honor to speak with Reginald, and see in-person Sidney’s wife & daughters, Oprah, Tyler Perry, and Gayle King relay the power and impact of Sidney Potier, who paved the way for them.
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