Documentary, Music
In 2010, The Carolina Chocolate Drops stunned the music world, taking home the Traditional Folk Album Grammy for their debut album, Genuine Negro Jig. Founded in 2005 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the old-time string band members included Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson, who were all inspired by the work of black fiddler Joe Thompson. As the documentary charts the band’s sudden rise, it also looks at the influence of their mentor, Thompson, and the African origins of the banjo.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
The Robber Bridegroom
Mountain Talk
Sprout Wings and Fly
George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
African American Historical Society – Migration Stories
African Americans and the Vote
James Brown: Soul Survivor
TETHERS
Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare
Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America
May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers
In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
Charlie Louvin: Still Rattlin' the Devil's Cage
Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City
Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music
Bill Monroe: Father of Bluegrass Music
Crownsville Hospital: From Lunacy to Legacy
And Those Who Dance it Surrender Their Hearts to Each Other
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
SIMILAR MOVIES
The Robber Bridegroom
IMDB 0 | Jun , 1980
In a small Southern town, a plantation owner is duped into thinking a thief is a kind stranger. To repay the stranger for stopping a robbery, the plantation owner invites him to his home to meet his daughter.Mountain Talk
IMDB 0 | Feb , 2004
Mountain dialect, culture and identity are revealed by the true experts on Southern Appalachian culture--the people whose families have lived there for generations.Sprout Wings and Fly
IMDB 5.9 | Oct , 1983
Set in the North Carolina Appalachians, Sprout Wings and Fly honors the fiddle playing of 82-year-old Tommy Jarrell of Toast, NC. Tommy was quirky, gregarious and generous, and this film shows him at his best, in fine fiddling form.George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein
IMDB 7.5 | Oct , 2006
Don Letts's hilarious and colourful profile of the godfather of funk, whose 50-year career has defined the genre. From his 1950s days running a doo-wop group out of the back of his barber store, through the madness of the monster Parliament/Funkadelic machine of the 70s to his late 90s hip-hop collaborations with Dre and Snoop, George Clinton has inspired generations of imitators. Contributors include Outkast's Andre 3000 and Macy Gray.Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
IMDB 8.1 | Jan , 2017
A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries—and path of promise toward the American dream—Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. They have been unapologetically Black for 150 years. For the first time ever, their story is told.African American Historical Society – Migration Stories
IMDB 0 | May , 2026
Citizen Film collaborated with the African American Cultural and Historical Society to produce an initial short film on African American migration, which was screened at African American Art & Culture Complex and other cultural venues around the city during Black History Month, February 2019. This first iteration of the migration stories will pave the way for Citizen Film’s collaborative process with the historical society to include a chorus of voices documenting personal and social histories.African Americans and the Vote
IMDB 0 | May , 2026
Explore the complicated history of African Americans’ place in San Francisco politics in African Americans and The Vote – a collaboration between Citizen Film and the San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society. African Americans and the Vote features San Francisco’s first Black mayor, Willie Brown and members of the next generation of leadership. Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema will be screening African Americans and the Vote virtually Tuesday, October 27 as a part of their “Best of Bernal” live streaming event!James Brown: Soul Survivor
IMDB 7.7 | Oct , 2003
James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent, there's a dark side to Brown's success that includes stints in prison and unceasing tabloid speculation. This in-depth documentary takes a look at the meteoric highs and deep lows of Brown's career, offering some fascinating insights from the Godfather of Soul himself, as well as interview footage with Chuck D, Little Richard, Wyclef Jean and many others.TETHERS
IMDB 10 | Sep , 2023
Prepare for an eye-opening journey into the heart of identity and division. 'Tethers' is a groundbreaking interview-style documentary that delves deep into the complex tapestry of cultural differences, racial tension, and the ethnocentric divide between Africans, African Americans, and Foundation Black Americans.Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare
IMDB 6.3 | Aug , 2019
The history of warfare as it relates to global Black society, broken down into 7 chapters that examines the ways the system of racism wages warfare from a historical, psychological, sexual, biological, health, educational, and military perspective.Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America
IMDB 1 | Dec , 2018
The Movie "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America" uncovers the true identity of the Children of Israel by proving the true ethnicity of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Sons of Ham, Shem & Japheth. Find out what Islam, Judaism and Christianity has covered up for centuries in regards to the true biblical identity of the so-called "Negro" in this movie packed with tons of research.May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers
IMDB 7.7 | Sep , 2017
An intimate portrait of the acclaimed North Carolina band The Avett Brothers, charting their decade-and-a- half rise, while chronicling their present-day collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin on the multi-Grammy-nominated album “True Sadness.”In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
IMDB 6.5 | Sep , 2007
This documentary captures the sounds and images of a nearly forgotten era in film history when African American filmmakers and studios created “race movies” exclusively for black audiences. The best of these films attempted to counter the demeaning stereotypes of black Americans prevalent in the popular culture of the day. About 500 films were produced, yet only about 100 still exist. Filmmaking pioneers like Oscar Micheaux, the Noble brothers, and Spencer Williams, Jr. left a lasting influence on black filmmakers, and inspired generations of audiences who finally saw their own lives reflected on the silver screen.Charlie Louvin: Still Rattlin' the Devil's Cage
IMDB 0 | Sep , 2011
Fifty years later, and he's still rattlin' the Devil's cage. Charlie Louvin can walk through a crowded mall and not attract attention. But it shouldn't be that way; the humble 83-year-old musician in the cowboy hat and jeans is a true American hero. To start, 50 years ago he and his brother recorded "Satan is Real," an album that shook up the music business. And the life he lived thereafter was pretty radical, too, from his military service to his country to his 61-year marriage to his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. On Friday, December 3, 2010 at the fooBAR in Nashville, we caught Charlie Louvin on stage, making music for his fans, celebrating the anniversary of that famous album. And we filmed the night for history's sake. This is the tribute he so richly deserves.Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City
IMDB 0 | Feb , 2018
Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City is a documentary that chronicles the history of African American struggles and successes in St Petersburg, Florida. This historical documentary will tell the stories of Black men and women, whose activism contributed to our beloved community that we all know today.Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music
IMDB 0 | Aug , 2019
Examine the history of bluegrass music, from its origins to its eventual worldwide popularity, and hear from dozens of musicians who explain the ways bluegrass music transcends generational, cultural and geographic boundaries.Bill Monroe: Father of Bluegrass Music
IMDB 9.5 | May , 1993
No single figure in American music so dominated a genre as did Bill Monroe with bluegrass. BILL MONROE: FATHER OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC features performances by Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys, Lester Flatt, Emmylou Harris, Paul McCartney, the Osborne Brothers, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, John Hartford and a once-in-a-lifetime Blue Grass Boys reunion featuring Del McCoury, Chubby Wise and Bill Keith. The film features archival footage and rare 1990s performances from Monroe's final years including many of the greatest songs from his six decades of recording.Crownsville Hospital: From Lunacy to Legacy
IMDB 7.8 | Oct , 2018
Crownsville Hospital: From Lunacy to Legacy is a feature-length documentary film highlighting the history of the Crownsville State Mental Hospital in Crownsville, MD.And Those Who Dance it Surrender Their Hearts to Each Other
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2017
And Those Who Dance it Surrender Their Hearts to Each Other is a portrait of Lone Piñon, a Northern New Mexican string band celebrating their region’s cultural roots. With fiddles, upright bass, accordions, vihuela, mandolin, guitars, jarana huasteca, and vocals in Spanish, English, Nahuatl and P’urepecha, they play a wide spectrum of the traditional music that is at home in New Mexico. The musicians have learned from elder musicians (such as Antonia Apodaca) who instilled in them a respect for continuity of the community based social and dance music. Noah Martinez, Jordan Wax, Leticia Gonzales and Greg Glassman have brought the language of New Mexico traditional music and related regional traditions back onto the modern stage, back onto dance floors, and back into the ears of a young generation.Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
IMDB 7.2 | Sep , 2004
The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.