Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice

Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice

1989 · 53 min · Documentary, History

"Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice" documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison reads selections from Wells' memoirs and other writings in this winner of more than 20 film festival awards. (Note: Originally broadcast as an episode of the PBS documentary series "American Experience" (1989). The program has circulated widely as an independent documentary through educational distributors and library catalogs, supporting its treatment as a standalone film listing.)

Directed by William Greaves · Written by William Greaves

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The Dikes

The Dikes · 1955

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A look at the destruction that follows the breaking of long-neglected dikes and the measures being taken to prevent future problems.

Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey

Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey · 2001

Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey

MovieDocumentary

Few remember the name, much less the historical achievements, of Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche. Yet, this African American mediator and United Nations diplomat was the first person of color anywhere in the world to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Nationtime: Gary

Nationtime: Gary · 1972

Nationtime: Gary

MovieDocumentary

A report on the National Black Political Convention held in Gary, Indiana, in 1972, a historic event that gathered Black voices from across the political spectrum, among them Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Richard Hatcher, Amiri Baraka, Charles Diggs, and H. Carl McCall.

The Fighters

The Fighters · 1974

MovieDocumentary

Documentary about Ali's rise to glory, beginning with his "Cassius Clay" days back in Louisville.

The Fight Never Ends

The Fight Never Ends · 1948

The Fight Never Ends

MovieCrimeDrama

Joe Louis, portraying himself, is a good influence on a group of Harlem youths who are tempted to "go bad" by a gangster known as Caper, an older brother of one of the youths.

Voice of La Raza

Voice of La Raza · 1971

Voice of La Raza

MovieDocumentary

Produced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, this film traces the ongoing struggle for equality by the Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. Through a fictitious scenario and real discussions with a range of individuals, including local business leaders, parents, and student activists, the film explores job discrimination and the resulting hardships within the Hispanic community. Many of the interviews are conducted by actor Anthony Quinn, who relates his own family's struggles as Mexican immigrants in East Los Angeles.

Miracle in Harlem

Miracle in Harlem · 1948

Miracle in Harlem

MovieRomanceMystery

A crooked real estate tycoon tricks a trusting young woman out of her small candy store. When he is found dead, the girl is suspected of the crime.

Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class

Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class · 1968

Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class

MovieDocumentary

The Black middle class, torn between white goals and Black needs, are examined by producers William Greaves and William Branch in a 90-minute NET Journal documentary.

The First World Festival of Negro Arts

The First World Festival of Negro Arts · 1966

The First World Festival of Negro Arts

MovieDocumentary

"This documentary film covers a 24-day arts festival in Dakar, Senegal that highlighted Black contributions to the cultural heritage of mankind and was attended by an extraordinary cast of over 2,000 luminaries - including Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Alvin Ailey, Aime Cesaire, and Leopold Senghor - from dozens of countries. The film depicts performances by African and American entertainers and shows various works of art while also providing unparalleled insight from the perspective of the African American delegation. The film was written and directed by William Greaves" (US National Archives).

Islands of the Frozen Sea

Islands of the Frozen Sea · 1958

Islands of the Frozen Sea

MovieDocumentary

This short documentary offers a look at the life forms on the Queen Elizabeth Islands within the Arctic Circle. Even in this frigid zone of icebergs and glaciers a surprising variety of wildlife and vegetation is seen. Writings from the logbooks of early explorers provide vivid descriptions of scenes as arresting to them in their century as to today's explorer. Note: Originally produced for the television series Perspective, this film was distributed separately on 16mm for schools and libraries, qualifying it as a standalone documentary.

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One · 1968

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One

MovieDocumentary

In Manhattan's Central Park, a film crew directed by William Greaves is shooting a screen test with various pairs of actors. It's a confrontation between a couple: he demands to know what's wrong, she challenges his sexual orientation. Cameras shoot the exchange, and another camera records Greaves and his crew. Sometimes we watch the crew discussing this scene, its language, and the process of making a movie. Is there such a thing as natural language? Are all things related to sex? The camera records distractions - a woman rides horseback past them; a garrulous homeless vet who sleeps in the park chats them up. What's the nature of making a movie?

Lost Boundaries

Lost Boundaries · 1949

Lost Boundaries

A light-skinned African-American family are "passing" in an all-white New England town. When the truth comes out, the more prejudiced neighbors demand their expulsion from the community.

Bustin' Loose

Bustin' Loose · 1981

MovieComedyDrama

After ex-con Joe Braxton violates his probation, he is given a second chance. All he has to do is drive a group of special kids across the country.

Black Power in America: Myth or Reality?

Black Power in America: Myth or Reality? · 1986

Black Power in America: Myth or Reality?

MovieDocumentary

The film questions whether the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s effectively changed the Black community, and American society more widely, and examines the notion of Black power itself. Greaves interviewed major Black leaders, such as Franklin Thomas, Clifton Wharton Jr., Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Lerone Bennett Jr. to present a candid take on issues within the African American community, revealing wider societal problems in America at large.

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2½

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2½ · 2005

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2½

MovieDocumentary

A movie about making movies about making movies. In 1968, William Greaves shot several pairs of actors in a scene in which a woman confronts her husband and ends their relationship. In "Take 2 1/2," Greaves starts with 1968 takes of one of these pairs of actors plus footage of the crew discussing the film's progress. Then, 35 years later, Greaves brings back to Central Park those actors and some of the original crew (plus others) to film a reunion of the characters Alice and Freddie. We watch scenes of these characters and discussions among the actors and crew. Greaves explores and dramatizes the dialectic in the creative process.

Sepia Cinderella

Sepia Cinderella · 1947

Sepia Cinderella

A struggling songwriter abandons his girlfriend for a flashy woman after landing a hit.

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