© Florianfilm GmbH
Sidney Poitier - Der Mann, der Hollywood veränderte
- Sidney Poitier - I Am the Me I Choose to Be (Working title)
Documentary | 2022 | arte, RB - Radio Bremen TV [de] | Art, Diversity, Portrait, Society | Germany
Main data
| Director | Katja Runge, Henning van Lil |
|---|---|
| Written by | Katja Runge, Henning van Lil |
| Production | Florianfilm GmbH [de] |
Shooting data
| Start of shooting | 18/01/2022 |
|---|---|
| End of shooting | 10/08/2022 |
| Filming regions | Germany - Lower Saxony |
Project data
| Film financing | |
|---|---|
| Length of movie | 52 Min. |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 (1 : 1,78) |
| Distribution format | HD |
| Sound format | Stereo |
Brief synopsis
He came from humble beginnings in the Bahamas and made Hollywood history: Sidney Poitier was the first black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1964. And in doing so, he also became the first black superstar in Hollywood and the world. He was a bridge builder between black and white and a central figure in the civil rights movement. But the balancing act between political icon and artist demanded a lot from him.
Raised in the Bahamas, in great poverty, Sidney Poitier went to the U.S. at the age of 15, to New York and played in Harlem in the legendary American Negro Theatre. In 1950 he was discovered for the cinema and played a young doctor in "Hate is Blind". Until then, African-Americans were mainly portrayed in stereotypes: as servants or farmhands. Sidney Poitier changed that. He showed African-Americans more self-confidently and thus held a mirror up to the American film industry. Nevertheless, throughout his life Sidney Poitier was constantly exposed to criticism for not being committed enough. How did the always perfectly formed and flawless actor deal with this? What compromises did he have to make? What shaped him?
In SIDNEY POITIER - THE MAN WHO CHANGED HOLLYWOOD, Poitier himself talks about his childhood, his family and his role as a trailblazer in Hollywood. Clips of his most important career moments guide you throughout the film. In addition, conversations with close companions such as Lee Grant, Constance Towers-Gavin and Gregg Champion provide insight into the life of the actor and director and create a personal portrait of the legend who died in Los Angeles on January 6, 2022 at the age of 94.
Raised in the Bahamas, in great poverty, Sidney Poitier went to the U.S. at the age of 15, to New York and played in Harlem in the legendary American Negro Theatre. In 1950 he was discovered for the cinema and played a young doctor in "Hate is Blind". Until then, African-Americans were mainly portrayed in stereotypes: as servants or farmhands. Sidney Poitier changed that. He showed African-Americans more self-confidently and thus held a mirror up to the American film industry. Nevertheless, throughout his life Sidney Poitier was constantly exposed to criticism for not being committed enough. How did the always perfectly formed and flawless actor deal with this? What compromises did he have to make? What shaped him?
In SIDNEY POITIER - THE MAN WHO CHANGED HOLLYWOOD, Poitier himself talks about his childhood, his family and his role as a trailblazer in Hollywood. Clips of his most important career moments guide you throughout the film. In addition, conversations with close companions such as Lee Grant, Constance Towers-Gavin and Gregg Champion provide insight into the life of the actor and director and create a personal portrait of the legend who died in Los Angeles on January 6, 2022 at the age of 94.