William Greaves (October 8, 1926 – August 25, 2014) was a documentary filmmaker and a pioneer of African-American filmmaking. He produced more than two hundred documentary films, and wrote and directed more than half of these. Greaves garnered many accolades for his work, including four Emmy nominations, one of which he won for his work as executive producer on the African-American news program Black Journal.
A movie about making movies about making movies. In 1968, William Greaves shot several pairs of actors in a scene in which a woman confronts her husband and ends their relationship. In "Take 2 1/2," Greaves starts with 1968 takes of one of these pairs of a ...
Watch NowFew remember the name, much less the historical achievements, of Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche. Yet, this African American mediator and United Nations diplomat was the first person of color anywhere in the world to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. ...
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"Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice" documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison ...
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This documentary presents clips from black films from 1929 through 1957. ...
Watch NowThe first Black-produced and controlled network television series, BLACK JOURNAL won an Emmy for programming excellence in public affairs. Provides a unique perspective on the late Civil Rights period. The Best of Black Journal consists of five segments fr ...
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The film questions whether the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s effectively changed the Black community, and American society more widely, and examines the notion of Black power itself. Greaves interviewed major Black leaders, such as Franklin Thomas, Cl ...
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This director's cut of the William Greaves' documentary short film dramatizes the life and deeds of the noted abolitionist Frederick Douglass. ...
Watch NowFrederick Douglass, Fighter for Freedom is a 19-minute documentary on the life and times of Frederick Douglass. Historic photos and documdrama segments cover the live of this great orator, emancipator and statesman. The story is told by a young narrator. ...
Watch NowTraces the life of Booker T. Washington, ex-slave, author, educator, and political leader, focusing on his stewardship of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Uses historic photographs, re-created vignettes, and interviews with contemporaries such as W.E.B. DuBo ...
Watch NowDesigned for class instruction and career education, and to prove that space exploration isn't just for the boys. The film interviews women employed in the space transportation programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and shows ...
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After ex-con Joe Braxton violates his probation, he is given a second chance. All he has to do is drive a group of special kids across the country. ...
Watch NowDirected by African American William Greaves and narrated by actor Ricardo Montalban, Where Dreams Come True is a 1979 NASA film highlighting the contributions of women and minorities and encouraging more to consider a career at the agency. The documentary ...
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An intimate portrait of two inner-city barbershops that provide patrons with more than haircuts. ...
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An American detective investigates the drug trade's influence on violence in Jamaica and corruption among government officials and high-ranking members of the police force. ...
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Documentary about Ali's rise to glory, beginning with his "Cassius Clay" days back in Louisville. ...
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A man returns to his home of Jamaica from journey. Along the way, he meets up with famous reggae bands of the time. ...
Watch NowThis film explores innovative ways in which "standard English" can be taught to dialect speaking children. Filmed on location in Louisiana at a U.S. Department of Education teacher-training project. ...
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In 1971, maverick filmmaker William Greaves trained his cameras on both Muhammad Ali and his opponent, Joe Frazier, ahead of the "Fight of the Century" at New York's Madison Square Garden. The epic battle was supposed to be Ali's big comeback following the ...
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Behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the Fight of the Century between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. ...
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A report on the National Black Political Convention held in Gary, Indiana, in 1972, a historic event that gathered Black voices from across the political spectrum, among them Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Richard Hatcher, Amiri Baraka, C ...
Watch NowExamines the history and purpose of the "merit system" used by the U.S. Civil Service in hiring and promoting Federal Government workers. Shows how the system impacts jobs and career prospects for women and minorities. ...
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Produced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, this film traces the ongoing struggle for equality by the Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. Through a fictitious scenario and real discussions with a range of individuals, including lo ...
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In this intimate portrait—produced for a segment of National Education Television's "Black Journal" television program—legendary jazz musician Alice Coltrane plays the harp and discusses her thoughts on music, spirituality, family, and the legacy of he ...
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A short documentary subject made for National Educational Television's Black Journal television program documenting a political rally in Newark, the 1970 mayoral campaign of Ken Gibson, and an African-American voter registration drive with special musical ...
Watch NowIt covers the activities of Malcolm X University in Durham, North Carolina (which operated for only three years), but above all devotes an entire segment to the Black athlete, focusing on an episode at the University of Wyoming, where 14 football players w ...
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This multi-award winning film uses psychodrama to help bridge the communication gap between a group of the so-called "hard-core unemployed" - largely Black and "underclass" - and the men who hire, train and supervise them - mostly white and middle class. ...
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In Manhattan's Central Park, a film crew directed by William Greaves is shooting a screen test with various pairs of actors. It's a confrontation between a couple: he demands to know what's wrong, she challenges his sexual orientation. Cameras shoot the ex ...
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The Black middle class, torn between white goals and Black needs, are examined by producers William Greaves and William Branch in a 90-minute NET Journal documentary. ...
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"This documentary film covers a 24-day arts festival in Dakar, Senegal that highlighted Black contributions to the cultural heritage of mankind and was attended by an extraordinary cast of over 2,000 luminaries - including Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, ...
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"This film explores how freedom of speech — including dissent — is afforded to all Americans, and shows freedom of expression in art, music, dance, architecture, and science. The film also emphasizes the importance of the individual's contribution to t ...
Watch NowExploring four of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. ...
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This 1959 documentary short is a frank portrait of the daily operations inside the Montreal General Hospital's emergency ward. ...
Watch NowThis film records the struggle for life within the Arctic Circle. It reveals flowers of startling beauty, whose entire life cycles last less than thirty days, and strange animals like the shaggy musk-ox, the shy lemming, and migrant water birds that surviv ...
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The Salvation Army in action. Band rehearsals, personal reminiscences of an Army officer, and an unrehearsed "coming to Christ" in the Army Citadel make for a revealing film study of men and women dedicated to a life of service to humanity. ...
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The camera traces the Trans-Canada Highway, unveiling Canada's people, resources, and diverse geography from east to west. It showcases remarkable engineering accomplishments integral to constructing the highway. ...
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This short documentary offers a look at the life forms on the Queen Elizabeth Islands within the Arctic Circle. Even in this frigid zone of icebergs and glaciers a surprising variety of wildlife and vegetation is seen. Writings from the logbooks of early e ...
Watch NowDuring the fire season, look-out men keep constant vigilance for the first sign of smoke, scanning the territory for miles around. How they are trained for the work and how their efforts save many valuable stands of timber are illustrated at a fire tower i ...
Watch NowThis short film is a telling portrait of the discourse about and treatment of alcohol addiction in the middle of the 20th century. In a fictional setting, the film examines the insecurities and inner motivations that cause the protagonist to lean on alcoho ...
Watch NowAbout "crooked" teeth, dealing with the causes of irregular teeth and stressing the importance of early, regular and systematic care of the primary teeth in preventing such conditions. ...
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A look at the destruction that follows the breaking of long-neglected dikes and the measures being taken to prevent future problems. ...
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An architect whose iconic buildings defined a newly independent Cambodia struggles to come to terms with the reckless development that threatens his legacy. ...
Watch NowA retrospective look at the career of Paul Robeson and his legacy as both an American and a citizen of the world. ...
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A documentary on the career of William Greaves, featuring Greaves, his wife and co-producer Louise Archambault, actor Ruby Dee, filmmaker St. Clair Bourne, and film scholar Scott MacDonald. Released within Criterion's Symbiopsychotaxiplasm set. ...
Watch NowA movie about making movies about making movies. In 1968, William Greaves shot several pairs of actors in a scene in which a woman confronts her husband and ends their relationship. In "Take 2 1/2," Greaves starts with 1968 takes of one of these pairs of a ...
Watch NowThis documentary presents clips from black films from 1929 through 1957. ...
Watch NowThe film questions whether the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s effectively changed the Black community, and American society more widely, and examines the notion of Black power itself. Greaves interviewed major Black leaders, such as Franklin Thomas, Cl ...
Watch NowIn Manhattan's Central Park, a film crew directed by William Greaves is shooting a screen test with various pairs of actors. It's a confrontation between a couple: he demands to know what's wrong, she challenges his sexual orientation. Cameras shoot the ex ...
Watch Now"This documentary film covers a 24-day arts festival in Dakar, Senegal that highlighted Black contributions to the cultural heritage of mankind and was attended by an extraordinary cast of over 2,000 luminaries - including Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, ...
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Unsuccessful gambler 'Dollar Bill' Burton lives in a crummy New York basement room with old friend Bob and a new roommate, friendly blues singer 'Alabama' Lee. But, tired of being broke, Dollar Bill gets more steady employment...doing illegal errands for g ...
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A light-skinned African-American family are "passing" in an all-white New England town. When the truth comes out, the more prejudiced neighbors demand their expulsion from the community. ...
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A crooked real estate tycoon tricks a trusting young woman out of her small candy store. When he is found dead, the girl is suspected of the crime. ...
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Joe Louis, portraying himself, is a good influence on a group of Harlem youths who are tempted to "go bad" by a gangster known as Caper, an older brother of one of the youths. ...
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A struggling songwriter abandons his girlfriend for a flashy woman after landing a hit. ...
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