Eyes on the Prize
Eyes on the Prize is a 14stündige documentary series by the American director Henry Hampton on the black civil rights movement in the United States and its struggle against racial segregation and racism. It consists of two squadrons, which were first aired in 1987 and 1990 by the Public Broadcasting Service. She was successful with critics and viewers and has become a standard teaching tool in U.S. schools.
Content
The documentation is based primarily on original footage and interviews with witnesses. In the interviews, groups of people come up with different views about the civil rights movement to speak. This includes historians, former demonstrators and members of civil rights organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Historically, the series covers the period from 1954 to 1985. The first part of Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965 consists of six hours of film and ends with positive moments of the civil rights movement, such as the signing of the Voting Rights Act 1965 The eight-hour second section, entitled Eyes on the Prize II. : America at the Racial Crossroads, 1965-1985 builds on time and addressed, among others, the threat to the progress made. The choice of Harold Washington's first African American mayor of Chicago marks the end of the series. All episodes are from the American civil rights activist, politician and author Julian Bond ( b. 1940 ) commented. They are accompanied over long distances with film music. These include both classic and contemporary pieces by artists such as James Brown and Aretha Franklin. As the eponymous title song civil rights anthem Keep Your Eyes on the Prize is (also: Hold on ).
Background
From 1977 to 1978, Henry Hampton ( 1940-1998 ), the concept for a documentary series about the American Civil Rights Movement. On behalf of Capital Cities, a former media company and parent company of ABC, a first documentary, the Capital Cities ultimately rejected because he was too little focused on the important personalities of the movement was born with a very tight budget. It was not until the mid-1980s, the project was implemented but still of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The production was Hamptoms Boston production company Black Side, funding was in addition to PBS, among others, the Ford Foundation in. It was compiled and utilized extensive material from various sources. These included videos from 82 different archives, about 275 photographs from 93 archives and over 120 music titles. In addition, the film team conducted interviews with witnesses, so that new recordings were incorporated with the production process. During Hamptom organized the financing of the project, he realized that all the material could not be immediately realized and shared the series for two seasons on. In April 1986, work on the second season began, even before the first had been sent.
The first broadcast of both squadrons was, beginning with January 21, 1987 and January 15, 1990, on a weekly basis in each case by 21 clock on Channel 28 ( KCET ) or Channel 13 from PBS instead. The series was marketed on VHS and DVD. In Germany they first came on the Berlinale 1988 in Forum section for performance.
Expired licenses footage, photographs and music led to Eyes on the Prize was aired in the mid- 1990s, neither was available for purchase. With the help of donations from the Ford Foundation and The Gilder Foundation ( Richard Gilder ) was relizensiert the material. The first season was first shown back in 2006 TV, the second season of 2008. Was released in 2010, the first season again on DVD.
Reception
Eyes on the Prize attracted over 20 million viewers and has won six Emmys and an Oscar nomination. In American schools and educational institutions, this documentation is often used as part of the educational material. More than 40 percent of four -year colleges and thousands of high schools and middle schools in the United States acquired the related videos.
The response from the media was far-reaching and overwhelmingly positive. Marked film critic Howard Rosenberg in the Los Angeles Times, the first season as " exhaustive six -part documentary of record did shouldn't be missed " ( German: a comprehensive six -part documentary that should not be missed ). Walter Goodman of The New York Times praised: " sensitively composed of new interviews and footage resonantly, the six one-hour programs tell the story through Those Who Took part in it. The staightforward narration, written by Steve Fayer and delivered in a low -keyed way by Julian Bond, does not strain for effects. There is enough drama in the faces and confrontations of the time " ( German: . Empathetic compiled from new interviews and footage nachklingendem, the six one-hour programs tell the story of those who have participated in The linear narrative, written by Steve Fayer. and is mediated in an unobtrusive manner by Julian Bond, not begs for effects. There is enough drama in the faces and confrontations that time).