LAFF Q&A: 'Olympic Pride, American Prejudice'

By Darlene Donloe

The documentary, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, directed by Atlanta filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper (Variety’s “10 Documakers To Watch”), and narrated by Blair Underwood, tells the story of the 18 Black athletes who participated in the 1936 Olympics.

18?? Yes, 18!  In actuality, there were 17 other Black athlete, besides Jesse Owens, who defied Jim Crow racism and Nazi Germany, by participating in and winning numerous medals in the 1936 Olympics. Who knew?  Not many?  Sans those who needed to know, it was a well kept secret. The world premiere of Olympic Pride, American Prejudice debuted at the LA Film Festival.

July 1936-Onboard the SS Manhattan: L-R, standing: Dave Albritton (High Jump Silver Medalist; Cornelius Johnson (High Jump Gold Medalist); Tidye Pickett (80m Hurdles); Ralph Metcalfe (100m Silver Medalist, 4x100m Gold Medalist); Jimmy Clark (Boxing); Mack Robinson (200m Silver Medalist). Background, between Clark & Robinson: Willis Johnson (Boxing). Kneeling: John Terry (Weightlifting); John Brooks (Broad Jump). Photo credit: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice LLC.

Through a plethora of documented, archived materials that included photos, interviews newspaper articles, newsreel film, yearbooks and never-before-seen footage, the story of the 18 brave and mostly unsung athletes is told. There is also material from the personal archival collections of Olympians and Foundations in both the U.S. and Germany.

The film features interviews with Isiah Thomas (1980 Olympian, 3-time NBA Champion), Carl Lewis (nine-time Olympic gold medalist and assistant coach of Univ. of Houston), Joanna Jayes (2004 Gold medalist and UCLA assistant track coach) and more.

Deborah Riley Draper and Blair Underwood

I recently spoke to Director Deborah Riley Draper (DRD), Executive Producer Dr. Amy Tiemann (AT) and narrator Blair Underwood (BU) about their latest project.

DD: Deborah, why did you decide to do this project?  Did you always know about this story?

DRD: I’m just like everyone else. I didn’t know the story either. I found out about it kind of accidentally. But once I knew the story, I had to make this documentary. I couldn’t let it go.  Just like everyone else, it was also a surprise to me that there were 17 others there.

DD: That’s incredible. You found out there were 17 other athletes.

DRD:  I didn’t know there were 17 specifically. I just saw records that there were others. I just knew there was more than Jesse Owens, but no one knew exactly how many. Then, they couldn’t get all the names right. The research led to the fact that there were 18.

August 1936-In the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany: Leni Riefenstahl (on ground, third from left), Olympic cinematographer, directs filming of Archie Williams (far right) after he wins the gold medal in the 400 meter dash. Photo credit: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice LLC. 

DD: Why was this important to you?

DRD: It was just a really good thing to know that these people did something that we all benefitted from. Their stories and accomplishments shouldn’t go into obscurity. We shouldn’t let their story fade away.  It’s our cultural heritage and we should protect it.

DD: You must have had a great researcher. You shared some juicy information and highlighted some good material.

DRD:  Yeah, I did, it was me (laughter).  I did the research.

DD: Really?  How long did it take you to research this documentary?

DRD:  It took me four years to do all of the research.

DD: Where did you find most of the material?

DRD:  I found a lot of stuff when I went to Berlin. I talked to a lot of people.  I was there for about eight days.  I had to get it done.

DD: It was interesting how you also included the stories about the Jewish athletes.

DRD: It was propaganda everywhere. The whole thing was propaganda, right?

Deborah Riley Draper

DD: What was the most surprising thing you found?

DRD: Well, believe it or not, I didn’t know that Jackie Robinson’s brother, Mack Robinson, also competed in the games.  His brother won a medal in the 1936 Olympics. I had no idea. That was a shocker.  Everything I found was interesting. I just kept looking – like an investigator.

DD: Blair, why did you get involved?

BU: I got involved because of Deborah [Riley Draper].  After she told me about the project, I wanted to get involved. When you think about the nuances of how those athletes were perceived as black athletes in Nazi Germany – man, wow!  You’d think they would worry about going there. You’d think they would be worried about how they were going to be treated, or whether they would be protected. Whether or not they would even be killed.

DD: When you’re narrating something like this – how do you approach it?

BU: Just by telling the story. My approach is talking like we’re talking now. Make it conversational and exciting. It’s what we do as storytellers anyway.

DD: Your initial thoughts when Deborah (Riley Draper) brought you the project.

BU: The beauty was I came in at the end. The beauty was I was privileged to see a trailer. At that time the film wasn’t finished.  I saw about eight minutes of it. It told me everything I needed to know and in what direction she was going in.

DD: Why is this important?

BU: Wow!  The main reason is because you understand the continuity of how we got here today. How we have a black man in the White House. How we have so many of us in the NBA. At one point in time we weren’t allowed to even be on the court.  It’s important when it comes to legitimacy. We can compete. We can run. All of this led to access – access to everything like restaurants.  It led to integration in sports and in society. So there is continuity here. This is a seminal moment.  This was a major shift – and the world took notice.

DD: Is it more important for black people to see this documentary or for white people to see this documentary?

BU: It’s important for everyone to see this. That’s not just a marginalized answer.  What I think Deborah did rather smartly was to include the story of the two Jews who were also there. It was interesting to see what they went through.

DD: What is your hope for this film?

BU: My hope is that everyone sees the film. My hope is that Deborah gets the attention she deserves as a filmmaker. Also that the family members of those athletes get to see the film, the children and the children’s children.

Dr. Amy Tiemann

DD:  Dr. Tiemann, how did you come to be involved in this project?

AT: I met Deborah at a documentary pitching session.  It was the Documentary Fund in Durham.   She was pitching her story.  About 10 minutes in I was captivated. It was an easy decision.  This documentary is getting a universal reaction.

DD: Did you know about this moment in history prior to the pitching session?

AT:  Even people who knew American history didn’t know this story.  I’ve heard a lot of pitches, but this one touched me.

DD:  What is your hope for this documentary?

AT:  My hope is that it becomes a staple in every classroom. I hope it gets to the White House and to President Obama.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, directed by Deborah Riley Draper, is produced by Coffee Bluff Pictures (www.coffeebluffpictures).  It’s narrated by Blair Underwood, who is also an executive producer, along with Dr. Amy Tiemann and Michael A. Draper.

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'Like Cotton Twines,' A Disturbing Look At Tradition; World Premiere at LA Film Festival

By Darlene Donloe

It’s an interesting dichotomy when you love and hate a film at the same time. But, that’s exactly what happened while viewing the disturbing, yet intriguing independent film, Like Cotton Twines, elegantly directed by BAFTA Award-winner Leila Djansi.

The film, which had its world premiere during the LA Film Festival, is the first time a film from Ghana has screened at the festival.

It tells the story of an archaic and barbaric practice of religious sexual slavery. In the film, Jay Ellis (The Game) plays Micah Brown an American volunteer who takes a teaching job in a remote African village where he meets Tuigi, played with heart by Ghanaian actress Ophelia Dzidzornu. Tuigi is a 13-year old girl who is to become Trokosi, wife to the gods. Trokosi is a generations long practice of religious sexual slavery. A virgin is given to a god (local priest) as a way of atoning something her family has done. Accepting her fate, Tuigi’s only desire is to be able to write her Basic Education Certificate Exam. She is torn between the past and the present. Confronted with a battle between church and state, Micah is determined to give Tuigi a life outside tradition.

I recently spoke to Director Leila Djansi and Jay Ellis about the making of the film.

Director Leila Djansi

DD: How did your journey to Like Cotton Twines begin?

LD: When in was 10, I got to meet a Trokosi in a market when I was with my mom. My mother never shied away from telling us about life. She told us about the women and how they didn’t have a choice. When I graduated high school, I went to a funeral. I saw a busload of Trokosi. They said they were queens, not slaves. I saw this woman who had these dark, depressed eyes. I never forgot her.

DD: Did you speak to any Trokosi or any priests for the making of this film?

LD: For the movie I talked to four of the Trokosi. There is a lady in my church who was one.  Some really do get liberated. The organization, International Needs (A worldwide partnership of Christian organization fulfilling the commission of Jesus Christ, supporting each other to see transformed lives, families and communities.), they go and buy the women and get them out of that situation and put them in finishing school. They teach them by sending them to life school.  These women need something because when you have been one of the Trokosi, you are rejected by your family because they feel you are cursed.

DD: In your research, Leila, what just blew your mind?

  

LD: How young the girls are and how they are introduced to rape at that early age. How senseless these men are. How you can have sex with a child that is nine years old. It completely blew my mind.

DD: Jay, how did you come to be involved in this film and why did you want to be part of this film?

JE: My reps called me one day and said they had a script. They said they thought it could be something special. I read it over the course of two days. I wanted to do it. A lot of things about the script interested me. One was the opportunity to tell this story. It’s a story about women’s rights and young girls’ rights. It was appealing to me. That’s part of the power of the film. On top of that, it was the chance to shoot in Ghana.

DD: How did you like Ghana?

JE: It was amazing. One of the most spiritual experiences I’ve ever had. There were highs and lows, color, fabric, food, dirt, the people, the smells. I pray I’m that present in all of my life. I wanted to make sure I was as present as I could be.

DD: Were you aware of this Trokosi tradition?

JE: I knew about female circumcision. Didn’t know about Trokosi.

DD:  Tell me your thoughts when you found out about this tradition.

JE: Initially, I first questioned if this is real. When I read the script there was no mention of this being real or not real. Is it still happening? Does this really happen? First of all, men suck. My first thought is that this is absolutely crazy. There is no humanity here. This doesn’t make sense.

DD: When you were in Ghana did you meet anyone who could tell you about the subject matter?

JE: Leila had known about this. A lot of the stories I heard in the beginning were through Leila and her experiences and stories. Then we found out that one of the makeup ladies on the show lived in a village where there are Trokosi women. That was interesting.  Leila wants to make people uncomfortable, which is the way it should be. This is something the world should see.

DD: Tell me about your character, Micah Brown.

JE: I don’t know that I still know how to develop him or play him. I was about finding what’s different from yourself and the character. I wanted to find out who he is and what he’s like. What’s his education like? We talked about his background. He’s going on his own journey. He’s doing it because of his mother who passed away. He’s becoming closer to her by doing this.

This was my first time on the continent of Africa. I was having my own spiritual awakening as this was happening.

Jay Ellis

DD: Jay, have you played a guy like this before?

JE: No, I haven’t. I’m 6’4”, 200-something pounds. I usually get roles that call for me to be cocky, arrogant and an athlete. I’m the good-looking guy coming in to get the girl. I was a little bit afraid of taking this role. I realized I wanted to stretch.

DD:  Leila, why was Jay the right person for this part?

LD: I saw Jay in My Favorite Five. I had written the script. I was doing a character development for the character of Micah. I like him he’s not light skinned and not dark skinned. He was on the periphery of what I wanted when you take a light skinned, good looking man to Ghana. The way they look at him is different. He will get favors. If they are dark skinned people - don’t respond to them well.

DD: Leila, what was the worst scene to shoot and why?

LD: I had to step away from the film for a week after we shot the rape scene. It was so hard.  The rape scenes with Tuigi. I didn’t want anything to do with the guy who played the priest.  I kept them separate on the set.

DD: Leila, has the film been shown in Ghana, or in other African nations?  If so, the response?

LD:  It’s going to be shown in Ghana. We teamed up with International Need to show it all over Ghana. I’ve already started getting backlash. That means I’m doing the right thing.  I don’t romanticize the truth.

DD: What is your hope for the film?

LD: It’s time for those things to be brought to the forefront. I welcome the backlash. If I can get one person to watch this and say they will not let this happen again.

JE: It is our responsibility to help humans. I hope this film opens people’s eyes. Just because things aren’t a part of the American culture doesn’t mean we should ignore it.  Just because it’s not going on outside of our front door doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care.

Like Cotton Twines, had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival, Thursday, June 2, at 7 p.m.  

Like Cotton Twines, written and directed by Leila Djansi, stars Jay Ellis, Ophelia Dzidzornu, Miranda Bailey, Yvonne Okoro, Luckie Lawson and David Dontoh.  It is produced by Akofa Djankui, Amanda Marshall, Whitney Valcin, Dave Harper and Leila Djansi

TRT: 95 minutes

Review: 'Olympic Pride, American Prejudice'

By Darlene Donloe

Nearly 80 years ago something extraordinary happened.

What that was is chronicled in Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, a documentary film directed by Atlanta filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper and narrated by Blair Underwood.  The world premiere of the film debuted at the LA Film Festival today, amidst an elevated buzz.

Deborah Riley Draper and Blair Underwood

The feature length doc uncovers a barely known fact about Jesse Owens not being the only “Negro” to participate in the 1936 Olympics.

Huh? What?  Yep!

In fact, the doc reveals that there were actually 17 other “Negroes” who actually participated in the games.

The riveting and eye-opening film is set against the backdrop of a racist America and an even more devious Germany ruled by a ruthless Adolf Hitler regime. And it wasn’t only “Negroes” who suffered the indignation of racism. As history would prove, it also included Jews, who were also discriminated against.

July 1936-Onboard the SS Manhattan: L-R, standing: Dave Albritton (High Jump Silver Medalist; Cornelius Johnson (High Jump Gold Medalist); Tidye Pickett (80m Hurdles); Ralph Metcalfe (100m Silver Medalist, 4x100m Gold Medalist); Jimmy Clark (Boxing); Mack Robinson (200m Silver Medalist). Background, between Clark & Robinson: Willis Johnson (Boxing). Kneeling: John Terry (Weightlifting); John Brooks (Broad Jump). Photo credit: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice LLC.

During that time America was torn between sending its best athletes to Berlin to compete against the Third Reich in its own backyard - and boycotting the games to prove its resistance to and disregard for Hitler, Aryan superiority and anti-Semitism.

But, don’t get it twisted!  During that time America had its own problems. Negroes were treated as second-class citizens, or worse, in their own country. Still, undaunted, they wanted to represent their country on the world stage, and as this documentary highlights - they did it with enormous panache, pride, poise and self-respect.

Surprisingly, during the games, Hitler called for calm. He wanted the Negroes to be treated with respect while in the country.  To the surprise of the Negro athletes, Hitler’s nation obliged.  The athletes, who worried whether they would be killed, insulted, disregarded or all of the above, were welcomed with open arms and applause and even received enormous reverence from their competitors.  There were integrated Olympic villages, social affairs that were inclusive – something the athletes did not expect.

July, 1936 on the SS Manhattan. L-R: James LuValle, 400m Bronze Medalist; Archie Williams, 400m Gold Medalist; John Woodruff, 800m Gold Medalist; Cornelius Johnson, High Jump Gold Medalist; Mack Robinson, 200m Silver Medalist. The photo was taken on July, 1936 on the SS Manhattan. Photo credit: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice LLC.

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Icc35DJPM

How ironic is it that they were respected in the most unexpected place on earth, but did not receive the same amount of regard in America from their own countrymen.  The heroic air that surrounded them in Berlin was all but blown away once they returned home.

Still the mystery remains - why were the other 17 “Negroes” almost ignored completely in the press?  Why was Jesse Owens the lone highlighted athlete?  Why did it take 80 years for someone to reveal what actually happened during the Berlin Summer Games? Why has it taken 80 years for someone to tell their story and give them their due.

August 1936-In the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany: Leni Riefenstahl (on ground, third from left), Olympic cinematographer, directs filming of Archie Williams (far right) after he wins the gold medal in the 400 meter dash. Photo credit: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice LLC. 

Director Deborah Riley Draper, the writer and director of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed documentary, Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution, has done just that. In her research for the doc, Draper traveled to Berlin where she spent eight days researching and interviewing former athletes and some of their relatives.

For four years Draper did her research to reveal a story that is unknown, yet an intimate part of American and world history.

The story of the 18 brave and mostly unsung athletes is told through a plethora of well-documented, archived materials Draper poured through including yearbooks, photographs, interviews, newsreel film, newspaper articles and never-before-seen footage.  There is also material from the personal archival collections of Olympians and Foundations in both the U.S. and Germany.

The film features interviews with Isiah Thomas (1980 Olympian, 3-time NBA Champion), Carl Lewis (nine-time Olympic gold medalist and assistant coach of Univ. of Houston), Joanna Jayes (2004 Gold medalist and UCLA assistant track coach) and more.

Deborah Riley Draper

Draper has put together a wondrous, impressive, eye-opening, emotional and intriguing documentary. 

Blair Underwood's luscious, full and earthy voice adds texture, while pushing the story forward emotionally.

They may not have received their flowers 80 years ago, but through this documentary they are receiving their long overdue applause.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is a must see!

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, directed by Deborah Riley Draper, is produced by Coffee Bluff Pictures (www.coffeebluffpictures).  It’s narrated by  Blair Underwood, who is also an executive producer along with Dr. Amy Tiemann and Michael A. Draper.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Olympic Pride, American Prejudice gets an E (excellent).

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