Nationtime
Directed by William Greaves
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Best known for his avant-garde meta-documentary Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, William Greaves (1926–2014) was also the director of over 100 documentary films, the majority focused on African American history, politics, and culture. Nationtime is 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, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Richard Hatcher, Amiri Baraka, Charles Diggs, Isaac Hayes, Richard Roundtree and H. Carl McCall. Narrated by Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, the film was considered too militant for television broadcast at the time and has since circulated only in an edited 58-minute version. This new 4K restoration from IndieCollect, with funding from Jane Fonda and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, returns the film to its original 80-minute length and visual quality.
Reviews
"Buzzes with long-term historical power."
"Resurrects a remarkable 1972 time capsule of American politicking at the root. It’s a snapshot of ground-level organizing... lifted up by sky-high oratory."
“In restoring Nationtime, a record of Black resilience has been preserved and the National Black Political Convention’s influence further affirmed.”
"A vivid portrait of a once-in-a-lifetime gathering... remind[s] us of both the long road to justice and the hard work that goes into paving the way."
"Nationtime documentary captures... one of the most powerful, Black-and-proud gatherings of all time."
"This rousing and revelatory documentary celebrates a diversity of black voices, finding support and solidarity even amid expected tensions and divisions."
"The 52-year filmmaking career of Greaves has resulted in an immense, multi-faceted body of work. Greaves was able to defy social, racial and economic barriers to become one of the most prolific documentary filmmakers of his era."
