MLK FBI
About
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered today as an American hero: a bridge-builder, a shrewd political tactician, and a moral leader. Yet throughout his history-altering political career, he was often treated by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies like an enemy of the state. In this virtuosic documentary, award-winning editor and director Sam Pollard (Editor, 4 LITTLE GIRLS, MO’ BETTER BLUES; Director/Producer, EYEZ ON THE PRIZE, SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME) lays out a detailed account of the FBI surveillance that dogged King’s activism throughout the ’50s and ’60s, fueled by the racist and red-baiting paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover. In crafting a rich archival tapestry, featuring some revelatory restored footage of King, Pollard urges us to remember that true American progress is always hard-won.
Director
Sam Pollard
Cast
James Comey, Beverly Gage, Martin Luther King
Rating
Year
2021
Country
USA
Language
English
Show Times
Main Trailer
Reviews
- "Pollards’ MLK/FBI is more than an eye-opening look at an icon, and the evil forces working to tear him apart, it’s a critical chapter that should be imprinted inside every white American’s heart. Especially right now."
- The Playlist - "MLK/FBI reveals shocking behavior by the American government, but the most troubling aspect of its revelations is that nobody had to answer for it."
- IndieWire - "It’s a useful reminder not just that this American hero was a widely vilified figure during his lifetime but also that he accomplished everything he did despite nonstop resistance from intelligence agencies, the media, and the public alike."
- The A.V. Club
Awards
- San Diego Int'l Film Festival
- Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
- Heartland Film
- Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
Festivals
- Toronto Int'l Film Festival
- Chicago Int'l Film Festival
- New York Film Festival
- St. Louis Int'l Film Festival
- Int'l Documentary Festival Amsterdam
- New York Film Festival
- Middleburg Film Festival
- SCAD Savannah Film Festival