My Name is Pauli Murray

My Name is Pauli Murray is an 2021 American documentary film, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, written by West, Cohen, Talleah Bridges McMahon and Cinque Northern. It follows the life of lawyer and activist Pauli Murray.

My Name is Pauli Murray
theatrical poster
Directed by
  • Betsy West
  • Julie Cohen
Produced byTalleah Bridges McMahon
Written by
  • Talleah Bridges McMahon
  • Julie Cohen
  • Betsy West
  • Cinque Nothern
Music byJongnic Bontemps
CinematographyClaudia Raschke
Edited byCinque Nothern
Production
companies
Release date
Running time
91 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021.

Plot

The film follows the life of lawyer and activist Pauli Murray who was instrumental in arguing the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment outlawed discrimination based on sex.[2] Several scholars of Murray's work are featured in the film including Brittney Cooper and Rosalind Rosenberg. Rosenberg's research for the book Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray is also highlighted.[3] The film includes significant coverage of Murray's papers housed at the Schlesinger library.[4] Murray's influence on Ruth Bader Ginsburg is covered in detail throughout the film.[5]

Depiction of Murray's gender identity

My Name is Pauli Murray features a nuanced analysis of Murray's gender identity. The film makes extensive connections between Murray's gender identity and groundbreaking feminist legal arguments.[6] Historian Rosalind Rosenberg explains in the film how a sense of "in-betweenness" contributed to the numerous innovative legal arguments presented by Murray with regards to race and gender.[6]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021.[7]

Critical reception

Cohen has been quoted as noting Murray was an "unrecognized figure in so many areas" and an intent behind the creation of the film was to bring Murray's story to a wider audience.[8] My Name is Pauli Murray received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 100% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 6 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.30/10.[9]

References
  1. "My Name is Pauli Murray". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  2. Schulz, Kathryn. "The Civil-Rights Luminary You've Never Heard Of". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  3. "Nonfiction Book Review: Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  4. "Collection: Papers of Pauli Murray, 1827-1985 | HOLLIS for". hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  5. "'RBG' filmmakers shine spotlight on legal icon Pauli Murray at Sundance". NBC News. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  6. "'RBG' filmmakers shine spotlight on legal icon Pauli Murray at Sundance". NBC News. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  7. Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  8. "'My Name Is Pauli Murray': Directors of 'RBG' Follow Up With Tale of Ginsburg's Greatest Influence (Video)". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  9. "My Name is Pauli Murray (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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