MLK/FBI

MLK/FBI is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Sam Pollard (known for co-directing the 1987 Oscar-nominated Eyes on the Prize), from a screenplay by Benjamin Hedin and Laura Tomaselli. It follows Martin Luther King Jr. as he is investigated and harassed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[4] It is currently the ninth highest-grossing film of 2021.

MLK/FBI
Film poster
Directed bySam Pollard
Produced byBenjamin Hedin
Written by
  • Benjamin Hedin
  • Laura Tomaselli
Music byGerald Clayton
CinematographyRobert Chappell
Edited byLaura Tomaselli
Production
companies
  • Depth of Vision
  • Tradecraft Films
  • Play/Action Pictures
Distributed byIFC Films
Release date
  • September 15, 2020 (2020-09-15) (TIFF)
  • January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$44,479[2][3]

Plot

The film explores the investigation and harassment of Martin Luther King Jr. by J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, through newly declassified documents. Beverly Gage, David J. Garrow, Andrew Young, Donna Murch, James Comey, Clarence Jones, Charles Knox and Marc Perrusquia also appear in the film.

Much of the documentary utilizes archival footage of MLK between 1955 and 1968, the years of his work as a civil rights activist. It is largely chronological, showing a young MLK from the early sixties until 1968 when he was assassinated. No new information is revealed about his assassination. The last sequence makes the statement that not all FBI documents have been declassified, and that the whole record will be declassified and made available to the public in 2027.

The documentary covers the attempts by Hoover and the FBI to discredit King by collecting recordings and images of his private sexual life with women other than his wife. This is to denigrate his status within the civil rights movement for black people in the United States, which was gaining momentum. There is a stark contrast between the thoroughly white complexion of the FBI and the many crowds of black people assembled around MLK.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.[5] It screened at the 2020 New York Film Festival[6] and was scheduled to be one of the closing night films at the San Diego International Film Festival in October.[7]

IFC Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film and set a release date for January 15, 2021.[8]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 99% based on 95 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "MLK/FBI presents a sobering overview of the American intelligence community's efforts to discredit and destroy a leader of the civil rights movement."[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Accolades

MLK/FBI won the Best Documentary Award at the San Diego International Film Festival in October 2020.[11]

References
  1. "MLK/FBI". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  2. "MLK/FBI (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  3. "MLK/FBI (2021)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  4. Documentary Exposes How The FBI Tried To Destroy MLK With Wiretaps, Blackmail : NPR
  5. Wiseman, Andreas (July 30, 2020). "Toronto Sets 2020 Lineup: Werner Herzog, Regina King, Mira Nair, Francois Ozon, Naomi Kawase Titles Join Hybrid Edition". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  6. "MLK/FBI". New York Film Festival. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  7. "The Re-Imagined 2020 San Diego International Film Festival". San Diego Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  8. Fleming Jr, Mike (September 15, 2020). "IFC Acquires North America On 'MLK/FBI' Docu About Harassment Of Civil Rights Icon By FBI – Toronto". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  9. "MLK/FBI (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  10. "MLK/FBI Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  11. "2020 Filmmaker Awards | San Diego International Film Festival". 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
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