In 1966, filmmaker Frank De Felitta made a documentary for NBC News
about life in the Mississippi Delta. When it aired on television, many
white Southerners were outraged at the portrayal of the South as racist,
a fact that many preferred to deny. One scene in particular eventually
destroyed the life of Booker Wright, an African-American man working in a
‘whites only’ restaurant. His powerful performance explaining his
position serving the white community resulted in a beating so brutal he
was hospitalized. Forty-six years after his televised appearance,
Booker’s granddaughter, Yvette Johnson, and Frank’s son, director
Raymond De Felitta, meet in Greenwood to discover what led Booker to
commit his courageous act of “accidental activism.” They also explore
the man’s untimely murder and uncover the role the filmmaker’s father,
Frank De Felitta, played in determining his fate.
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Tue, May 1 7:30 PM - TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
Wed, May 2 11:00 AM - The ROM Theatre
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