Saturday, May 19, 2007

Glover Films: Toussaint


Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, is financing two films by close supporter and actor, Danny Glover. I am particularly excited about his film, Toussaint, which chronicles the life of the Haitian revolution leader, Toussaint L’Ouverture. It’s long overdue!!! Toussaint’s life is a wonderful and courageous story that the world should know about. So, God bless Danny Glover for stepping up to tell “our” story because no one else will. I want to give a big thank you to Mr. Glover and Mr. Chavez. Many blessings to you. Check out the article. Peace~
Sources: Wikipedia.org/Comcast news/Blackvoices.com

30 comments:

Unknown said...

Danny Glover is a remarkable talent. I must admit that I don't know much about the life of Toussaint ... so I look forward to seeing the outcome of this project!

peace, Villager

NML/Natalie said...

Jaysus I wrote a lengthy comment on your MLK post yesterday and I just discovered it ate it, so I hope you get this one. I'm a big Danny Glover fan and I'm sure that he will do this film justice. It's great to see that films are being made that will educate and open our eyes, as opposed to big budget mainstream stuff. I look forward to it. Have a great weekend Stephen x

Rethabile said...

Cheers, bro.
Interesting stuff. Know pretty little about "All Saints" -- so I'll definitely see the film

Anonymous said...

It's nice to see when our actors use their power and influence to get different stories told...it's an exciting time with Black actors now receiving acclaim for their efforts.

Tafari said...

It is such a damned shame that money had to come from another country to finance this project. What is that really saying bout the entertainment industry here.

Anyway, I know Danny will do a fabu job & I look forward to hearing more!

Peace,
Bygbaby

Icarus said...

Too right, mate! I'm with you on that. First came across the history of T L'O in the first year of my university degree. I hope the movie is a whopping success in every respect. And DC is just the place to talk up Chavez, no?
Talking movies reminds me of something I heard this morning, from Cannes. I want your feedback on it. It was about Angelina Jolie playing a black woman in a new movie. Sorry, detail slips my mind. And sorry, but that doesn't make sense to me, quite apart from the fact that there is no dearth of "genuine" black women to play such a role, whoever she's depicting. I mean, what next? Mel Gibson as Eleanor Roosevelt? Over to you, with a chunk of peace.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Villager-
Thank you. Yes, Toussaint was a great man. His story is worth telling.

NML-
Hello sis! I hope all is well with you. Yes, Danny Glover is one of my favorite Hollywood celebs. I am so proud of what he is doing with Toussaint. I hope you had a great weekend. Peace~ X

Rethabile-
Yes, I am looking so forward to that.

Dawn-
I'm there with you. It's so important. Thanks.

Bygbaby-
It is a shame. Danny is catching a lot of flack from where the money is coming from due to Chavez's reputation with the US Government. Plus, I think that the financial support should've at least come from some of our most popular Black actors. Maybe they are contributing? I'll have to research this. Thanks

Icarus-
Wow! I didn't hear about this thing with Angelina. I am so out of touch sometime. :)I agree with you. There are more than enough multiracial and black actresses to play this role. I don't understand? Then again, this country is becoming more and more blatant with its attitude towards race. In most cases I think that it is more of an insensitivity towards other groups than hatred. They (il-informed Americans) don't think before they act. Then, they become very defensive when its brought to their attention because they feel you are calling them racist or prejudice. It's not that they are necessarily racist, (too many are racist) but they need to be educated about the idiosyncrasies of other groups in this country. Well, this could go on. Thanks for that info.

the prisoner's wife said...

you are right, it is way overdue.

bless up, bless.

the prisoner's wife said...

bless & Icarus,

Angelina is playing a bi-racial black women. not that that makes it any "better," but she is playing Marianne Pearl, Daniel Pearl's widdow.

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200309/tows_past_20030930.jhtml

it is weird she is playing a black woman, but i think she lobbied to get this film made. who knows. the world is a strange place.

Lyrically speaking said...

I've heard about Danny working on this project and I think it will be a huge success and will educate many out there. I haven't been blogging since I've been trying to recuperate from being sick, hope all is well with you Mr. Bess :) nice to read this post

Dance_Soul said...

This is exciting. I learned about Toussaint long ago while viewing a touring haitian art show in Detroit. This fits in with my favorite genre of books and movies: historical 1400s-1960s.

Fabrizio said...

Ehy, it sounds interesting. I saw "the agronomist" at the university. A great film too.

See ya

Fab

Stephen A. Bess said...

Pwife-
Yeah, I don't want to jump the gun, but Thandie Newton would've been a great actress. I'm just considering the history that is connected to white actors/actresses portraying black characters (minstrel shows). It's a sensitive subject. I don't feel that Angelina means any harm in her portrayal, but...

Yeah, who knows? The world is a very peculiar place. Thanks!

Cathy-
Wow! I'm glad to hear that you're better. I don't think that I realized how sick you were. Yes, I'm happy that Glover is making a film about the father of Haiti's revolution for Independence! Fantastic! I know you are happy as a daughter of Haiti. Peace~

Dance-
Yes, very cool. You know, we share a fascination with similar periods in history. You're so cool. :)

Fab-
It sounds like a great film. I looked it up on the web. Thanks for that info. Peace~

Icarus said...

Stephen, you took the words right out of my brain! The 'minstrel' syndrome, which was deemed unquestionably OK (& 'nice & 'folksy'& safe - which it wasn't wasn't ,wasn't & wasn't) on the BBC till some way into the 70s, I think.
Yeah, it's the Daniel Pearl story. If Angelina is involved in the prod, and if the story means more to her than her acting career - which it bloody should - then she could think again and nicely take herself off the role, instead of risking making an unnecessary diversion from the story. Or is too late, the film's already cut & on its way? Anyone know more than me on this? P'Wife?

Cergie said...

Then it will arrive in France.
All American movies arrive in France and it is not the same for French movie in america !
Yes, I believe it is an interresting movie, i would like to see it.

Writing on Board said...

I look forward to seeing what happens with both works in progress. Hopeful...

Stephen A. Bess said...

Cergie-
Yes, we should get your movies the same. It would serve as a great educational tool.

Alex-
Yes, hopeful.

the prisoner's wife said...

icarus,

yes...it's too late. the film is already on it's way.

Professor Zero said...

Oooh I cannot wait for the movie!

BronzeBuckaroo said...

Hughes wrote a play about Toussaint.

I want to see this movie myself. I will keep my fingers crossed in hope that politics will not prevent the film from being made. CNN is already raising a flap.

Whatever happened to Denzal Washington making a film about Hannibal? Oh well.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Profzero-
I'm am looking forward to this as well,but as Bronzebuckaroo mentioned, I hope that politics do not prevent it from happening. I don't care if it just goes straight to video. I can see them preventing it from reaching theaters. Anyway, I hope for the best. Yeah...what happened to Hannibal? Do you think it was politics? Peace

BronzeBuckaroo said...

I haven't heard anymore about the Hannibal movie with Washington. Hollywood is so fickle on certain issues. I know Washington really wants this movie! And, it would surly be another Oscar winning performance for him.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Bronze-
Most definitely. I had the pleasure of seeing him 2 years ago in New York in the play, Julius Ceasar. He was fantastic in the part of Brutus. A real treat.

Imani said...

Just to say that I definitely recommend "The Agronomist". Very well done documentary. Looking forward to this movie as well -- all my information on Toussaint is based on a class session back in high school.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Imani-
Welcome! Yes, I need to check out "The Agronomist." I love to watch documentary film. Thanks for that reminder.

black feline said...

do you think Mr.Glover will be black listed for taking on such a challenging role...and to be financed by Mr. Chavez...not really on good terms with the USA? his strong criticisms of US foreign policy for a start

Stephen A. Bess said...

Blkfeline-
I've read countless criticism on blogs and chatrooms about Glover. The brunt of it comes from conservatives in the US and Anti-Castro Cubans.

Anonymous said...

Liberal propaganda if you ask me...

While I oppose slavery in all its forms, the Haitian Revolution was an orgy of blood, voodoo, and torture. Not only were slave owning Frenchmen killed, but Dessalines and many of L'Overture's men (who ended up betraying him in the end to the French, only to have Dessalines turncoat, betray the French, and proclaim himself Emperor of the Haitians) advocated genocide, attempting to kill all whites in Hispaniola in order to make the nation entirely black (not even White Nationalists are that extreme, nor has anything like that ever been attempted in America).

Haiti has a long tradition of using opportunism and violence to solve political issues in its two-hundred and three year long history. Their first elected president was Aristide in 1991, and after that, Haiti only had its first transfer of political power without a coup d'etat in 1996 with the first election of Rene Preval.

I'm quite sure that the directors and producers (especially Chavez) will whitewash this portrayal of L'Overture, depicting the former slaves as righteous and the White French as inhuman fiends. If you want the real truth, just read about Haitian history, especially the origins of the Revolution (Jeannot was known to use dead French babies as his war banners, and Jean Francois drank and bathed in the blood of his slain enemies to gain superhuman strength).

Danny Glover is a champagne socialist. He has no idea about the history of the Haitian Revolution or its origins.

Stephen's Opinions said...

For an excellent treatment of Toussaint and the Haitian Revolution read Korngold's book, "Citizen Toussaint"! It's the bomb. Hansberry was doing a film before she passed, I saw Danny screen a few of the clips at NYU a couple years ago. Chavez is a natural for this one. We are all children of the heroic accomplishments by the Haitian people. He and Glover get it and we better bone up on some of this truth or its gonna barrel right on over us. One of these days somebody's going to make a film about London's book, "The Iron Heel" circa 1905 and all about us now. Our people, the american people have produced some serious literature. More power to the Danny Glovers of the world to expose the myths of who our heros really are.

Anonymous said...

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/forum/living-in-the-dr/general-info/313/TOUSSAINT-THE-MOVIE-POSTPONED

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