You have to ask yourself those questions.
If you don’t, then to me, you’re not being a responsible filmmaker."
MLK/FBIis available now on VOD and digital platforms.
Credit: IFC Films
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: These documents you’re dealing with have so recently been made publicly available.
Ben Hedin had read David Garrow’s [1981] book about MLK and the FBI.
So that was the genesis of it.
IFC Films
It was an interesting kind of groundswell of how this film came together.
And they asked me, “What are we looking for?”
All this stuff I knew about King from other documentaries I had worked on.
That’s what he did.
And then the thing that I brought to the table was the idea of the old movie clips.
This film relies heavily on archival material and stills and those old movie clips.
We felt that was an important way to tell the story.
I’m always understanding that you want the archival footage to help you tell the story.
Looking ahead, the actual FBI tapes of MLK are supposed to be released later this decade.
[They remain under court seal until 2027.]
Because this doesn’t change the fact that he did great things for America.
That’s what I’m hoping to hear on those tapes.
You hear that now.
No, it’s not the peaceful protests.
People are saying, “Enough is enough.”
That happened in the ’60s, it happened in 2020.
That’s why it resonates, this film, isn’t it?
Because a lot of that stuff we’re seeing in this film still exists in America today.
Even with some of the progressive things that have happened in America.
Even with the election of a Black president.
Even with the election of a female person of color as vice president.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
