Bring a blanket or chairs and a picnic dinner. The screening will take place on “Movie Hill” near the KSAT dog park.
Directed by Joe Brewster and Michéle Stephenson, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (102 minutes, 2023) was honored as Outstanding Documentary Feature at the Frameline LGBTQ Film Festival. A sampling of comments from the media:
- “Insightful and entertaining” – The New York Times
- “A stunning documentary … truly out of this world” – Chicago Reader
- “Beautifully crafted … an engaging portrait” – Variety
- “Heartbreaking and inspiring” – Vox Magazine
“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary film to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators,” states the International Documentary Association. “Combining parallel cinematic story editing with visually innovative treatments of her poetry, along with intimate vérité, rich archival footage, and Giovanni’s own captivating contemporary performances, Going to Mars recounts the story of the artist and her works of resistance through the tumultuous historical periods in which she lived — from the Civil Rights Movement, to the Black Arts Movement, to present-day Black Lives Matter.”
“Giovanni was among the foremost writers to emerge from the Black Arts Movement, and her unique vision for a future of true equality — the reality and metaphor of space travel — has inspired everyone from Oprah Winfrey to the scientists who named a bat species after her,” writes Peter Jones of Sundance.
“Going to Mars travels the worlds of thought and time as the documentary tracks the poet’s flights by way of poetry readings, candid at-home footage, and contemporary and archival interviews, including an enlightening televised back- and-forth with acclaimed writer James Baldwin,” adds Jones.
