Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Directed by Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack
Starring Maya Angelou, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Common and Louis Gossett, Jr.
Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack's unprecedented film celebrates Dr. Maya Angelou by weaving her words with rare and intimate archival photographs and videos, which paint hidden moments of her exuberant life during some of America’s most defining civil rights moments. From her upbringing in the Depression-era South to her swinging soirees with Malcolm X in Ghana to her inaugural speech for President Bill Clinton, we are given special access to interviews with Dr. Angelou whose indelible charm and quick wit make it easy to love her.
See more films
Reviews
-
★★★½ review by Adriana Scarpin on Letterboxd
Filme #6 da Semana da Consciência Negra. Netflix BR. E também em honra do 25 de novembro - Dia da Não-Violência Contra Mulher. Maya foi estuprada aos sete anos de idade.
-
★★★★½ review by Nigel on Letterboxd
I fell in love with Maya Angelou all over again after watching this documentary.
The first time I fell in love with her was when I read, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" when I was twelve years old at the behest of my seventh grade English teacher. I finished it in a weekend and I'll never forget how amazed I was after finish reading it. I have never read something that moved me so much. I ended up reading the rest of her autobiographies in high school and wanted to write to her and let her know how much her writings moved me, but she unfortunately passed away towards the end of my senior year.
Reading about Maya Angelou's life is one thing, but seeing it through newspaper clippings, movie and TV show clips made it that more extravagant. She truly is a phenomenal woman and this documentary captures it.
-
★★★★ review by Danielle on Letterboxd
Five stars for the woman. Three stars for the film.
-
★★★½ review by Juliette on Letterboxd
The construction of this documentary is pretty basic and occasionally not great - for example lines of poetry shown on the screen being completely unreadable, and some stories that were cut together from different people's POV being disjointed. Documentaries about creative people should maybe be made with a little more creativity (aka 'Amy' or 'Supersonic'). But regardless of it's construction, 'And Still I Rise' is a fascinating watch just because of who Maya Angelou was. I learned a lot about her, and I'm just amazed at the ability she had to elevate every conversation she partook in, as well as elevate the self-worth of people around her. You listen to Maya Angelou and you leave with your head held a little higher.
-
★★★★★ review by Millie on Letterboxd
Fundemental. Necessary. Empathetic beyond all measure.
- See all reviews