Birth of a Movement

Written by Kwin Bader & Dick Lehr

Directed by Bestor Cram & Susan Gray

Rating: 🔥 that’s hot

This PBS documentary sheds light on America’s first blockbuster movie, The Birth of a Nation, and its visionary director D.W. Griffith who pioneered the medium and elevated it to become the poignant storytelling medium that it is today. It is heartbreaking that America’s first hit film was one that tells the romanticized story of the Antebellum south, and how the KKK was a necessary organization to uphold law and justice. Like so many things in our country, movies were born out of racism.

Birth of a Movement tells the story of a prominent black leader of the early 20th century, William Monroe Trotter, and his fight to keep this movie from being shown. While their fight for censorship was ultimately unsuccessful, much of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s can trace its roots back to this pivotal time. These themes are as relevant today as they have ever been. Black Lives Matter and this short documentary is a must-watch.

Review written by Zianna Weston