Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in the America is a documentary film which premiered in 2021.
Here is some basic information about this film:
** Directors: Emily and Sarah Kunstler
** Host and presenter: Jeffery Robinson
** Language: English
** Run time: 118 minutes
Jeffery Robinson (the host and presenter of this film) is an African American civil rights activist who has practiced as a lawyer since 1981. He has also worked with American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
When the film begins, we see him on a stage addressing an audience in a large auditorium. He talks about himself and his life. When I watch this opening scene, I wonder: is it going to be like this the whole way until the end for almost two hours?
Fortunately, the answer to this question is no. It is not like this the whole way until the end. Jeffery is seen on the stage, addressing an audience from timer to time, but each time only for a brief moment.
Most of the time, in this film, he is a out and about. He is visiting different locations, interviewing other people who have something to say about the general topic, racism in America.
Some locations are chosen because they are personal. This is the case when Jeffery returns to the house where he lived when he was a child. He has a deep and personal connection with this place.
Most of the places visited are chosen, because they have a connection with the general topic. Whenever Jeffery visits a new location, he explains what happened here. And then he explains how and why this location is connected with the general topic.
While he is there, he meets and interviews a person who has a connection with this location. A person who can explain how and why this location deserves to be included in a chronicle of racism in America.
Step by step, Jeffery is building an account which shows the geography and the chronology of racism in America.
It can be found all over the USA and throughout the history of the USA.
What do reviewers say about this film?
Here are some results:
75 percent = IMDb
78 percent = Meta
53 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)
98 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)
On IMDb there are more than 40 user reviews. There is also a list of 19 reviews written by critics.
On Amazon there are at the moment more than 200 ratings of this product, more than 40 with reviews.
The average rating is 4.8 stars which corresponds to a rating of 96 percent. Here are the details:
5 stars = 86 percent
4 stars = 9 percent
3 stars = 2 percent
2 stars = 1 percent
1 star = 2 percent
Most reviews are positive: in fact, 95 percent offer four or five stars. A very small group is negative: three percent offer only one or two stars.
As you can see, the ratings are quite good. When you look at Rotten Tomatoes, you can see that there is a huge gap between the professional critics and the general audience. The critics like this film, while the audience seems to be disappointed.
This phenomenon is quite common when we are talking about a documentary film. The critics can appreciate a serious investigation of an important topic, while the audience feels the story is boring. In this case, I have to side with the critics.
I understand the numerous positive reviews and I agree with them.
I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
PS. The directors Emily and Sarah are sisters. They are daughters of the American lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (1919-1995):
** Emily Kunstler - born 1978
** Sarah Kunstler - born 1976
A few years ago, they made a documentary film in which they examine the life and career of their father who was a famous and highly controversial person:
William Kunstler:
Disturbing the Universe
(2009)
It is a loving portrait but not uncritical.
As far as I can tell, it is honest and fair.
My review of this film was posted in April 2021:
Emily and Sarah are professional film-makers. I am glad to see that they are still active in this field.
This time they have joined forces with Jeffery Robinson. The result is a great documentary film about an important topic. In my opinion, the good ratings of this product are fully justified.
*****
The American lawyer and
civil rights activist
Jeffery Robinson
*****
The two sisters
Emily and Sarah Kunstler
(Emily on the left, Sarah on the right)
*****
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