Dare Not Walk Alone
Encyclopedia
Dare Not Walk Alone is a 2006 documentary
directed by Jeremy Dean. The film played the festival circuit in 2006 and in 2007 received the audience award at the Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio. It was signed by Indican Pictures for theatrical, DVD, and TV release. The film was released on DVD on November 11, 2008.
and its aftermath in St. Augustine, Florida
, the site of prolonged inter-racial tension and protests by the NAACP and the SCLC
. The most notable protests immediately preceded, and arguably precipitated, the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Dare Not Walk Alone was conceived in 2003 by artist Jeremy Dean, who was then living and working in the Florida tourist town of St. Augustine
, "America's oldest city."
When Dean volunteered to help restore the stained glass windows in an historically black church he learned of the events of 1964, the protests, the beatings, and the brilliant campaign of civil disobedience that led to the passage of the first civil rights act.
While Dean felt honored working to preserve a place where Dr. King had once stood side-by-side with Jackie Robinson to rally supporters, he was stunned that he had never heard of these events before, so he set about researching them. He uncovered archive footage that had never been aired. He sat down with the people who were there, who put their lives on the line in the fight for equality and freedom from segregation.
Waiting tables to finance the project, Dean created the first cut of the film in 2005 and in 2006 the first public screening of Dare Not Walk Alone took place at the historically black Ritz Theatre (Jacksonville)
, Florida
in an event attended by Florida State Senator Anthony C. Hill
. Within days, Senator Hill had organized a summit of civic leaders to address housing conditions in St. Augustine's African American community. He later introduced legislation to expunge the criminal records of all persons arresed for peacefully protesting segregation in Florida.
When Dare Not Walk Alone made its theatrical debut in Los Angeles, Sara Schieron of Boxoffice Magazine
declared it "has the potential to do real good in the world" and Eric Monder of Film Journal International
noted, "The racial politics of the current presidential election make this film all the more significant."
Dare Not Walk Alone has been screened at universities such as Notre Dame and a number of historically black colleges and universities
. The film was released on DVD in October 2008.
Grande 4 in Los Angeles, Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times
described it as a "powerful slice of roiling American history." Sara Schieron of Boxoffice Magazine
declared it "has the potential to do real good in the world" and Eric Monder of Film Journal International
noted, "The racial politics of the current presidential election make this film all the more significant."
In January 2009 the film was nominated for an NAACP Image Award
for Outstanding Documentary.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Jeremy Dean. The film played the festival circuit in 2006 and in 2007 received the audience award at the Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio. It was signed by Indican Pictures for theatrical, DVD, and TV release. The film was released on DVD on November 11, 2008.
Overview
Dare Not Walk Alone is about the civil rights movementCivil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
and its aftermath in St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, the site of prolonged inter-racial tension and protests by the NAACP and the SCLC
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
. The most notable protests immediately preceded, and arguably precipitated, the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Background
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, "America's oldest city."
When Dean volunteered to help restore the stained glass windows in an historically black church he learned of the events of 1964, the protests, the beatings, and the brilliant campaign of civil disobedience that led to the passage of the first civil rights act.
While Dean felt honored working to preserve a place where Dr. King had once stood side-by-side with Jackie Robinson to rally supporters, he was stunned that he had never heard of these events before, so he set about researching them. He uncovered archive footage that had never been aired. He sat down with the people who were there, who put their lives on the line in the fight for equality and freedom from segregation.
Waiting tables to finance the project, Dean created the first cut of the film in 2005 and in 2006 the first public screening of Dare Not Walk Alone took place at the historically black Ritz Theatre (Jacksonville)
Ritz Theatre (Jacksonville)
The Ritz Theatre is an African-American oriented theatre in the LaVilla neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. The theater, which seats 426, is used for a variety of music, dance and theatrical productions, as well as movies. The spacious lobby is also used for private functions. Just off the lobby...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in an event attended by Florida State Senator Anthony C. Hill
Anthony C. Hill
Anthony C. Hill born September 9, 1957 is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, representing the 1st DistrictHis district encompasses portions of Duval, St. Johns, Flagler, Putman and Volusia Counties...
. Within days, Senator Hill had organized a summit of civic leaders to address housing conditions in St. Augustine's African American community. He later introduced legislation to expunge the criminal records of all persons arresed for peacefully protesting segregation in Florida.
Release and reviews
By the end of 2007 the film had been signed for non-theatrical release by THINKFilm and in April 2008 the film began its theatrical release in Los Angeles with Hollywood-based distributor, Indican Pictures.When Dare Not Walk Alone made its theatrical debut in Los Angeles, Sara Schieron of Boxoffice Magazine
Boxoffice (magazine)
Boxoffice is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by Boxoffice Media LP. It started in 1920 as The Reel Journal, taking its current name in 1931 and still publishes today, with an intended audience of theatre owners and film professionals.Boxoffice is the...
declared it "has the potential to do real good in the world" and Eric Monder of Film Journal International
Film Journal International
Film Journal International is a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It is a sister publication of Adweek, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and other periodicals....
noted, "The racial politics of the current presidential election make this film all the more significant."
Dare Not Walk Alone has been screened at universities such as Notre Dame and a number of historically black colleges and universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
. The film was released on DVD in October 2008.
Awards
In 2007, Dare Not Walk Alone won the Audience Award at the Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio. When the film had its theatrical premiere at the LaemmleLaemmle Theatres
Laemmle Theatres is a group of family-run arthouse movie theaters in the Los Angeles area. It was established in 1938 and is owned and operated by Robert Laemmle and his son Greg Laemmle....
Grande 4 in Los Angeles, Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described it as a "powerful slice of roiling American history." Sara Schieron of Boxoffice Magazine
Boxoffice (magazine)
Boxoffice is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by Boxoffice Media LP. It started in 1920 as The Reel Journal, taking its current name in 1931 and still publishes today, with an intended audience of theatre owners and film professionals.Boxoffice is the...
declared it "has the potential to do real good in the world" and Eric Monder of Film Journal International
Film Journal International
Film Journal International is a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It is a sister publication of Adweek, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and other periodicals....
noted, "The racial politics of the current presidential election make this film all the more significant."
In January 2009 the film was nominated for an NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for Outstanding Documentary.
External links
- darenotwalkalone.com - official site for the film
- Dare Not Walk Alone at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- Dare Not Walk Alone synopsis - from Indican Pictures
- Dare Not Walk Alone Trailer