WHAT YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE WORLD’S ON FIRE? - International Independents

by Roberto Minervini

Italy, USA, France / 2018 / 123’

with Judy Hill, Dorothy Hill, Michael Nelson, Ronaldo King, Titus Turner, Ashlei King, Kevin Goodman

Production: OKTA FILM, PULPA FILM in co-production with RAI CINEMA, SHELLAC SUD in association with MYmovies.it
International Sales: The Match Factory

This was supposed to be a documentary about the music of 1930s Louisiana. But when Italian director Roberto Minervini learned how often young African-Americans are killed by police and the Ku Klux Klan, he changed the focus of his black-and-white film to the stories of various protagonists. For example, the new Black Panther Party in New Orleans, which attempts to organize neighborhood protests. Bar owner Judy Hill, whose experiences have made her aware of her standing in society. And 14-year-old Ronaldo, who is preparing his younger brother Titus for life, including giving him boxing lessons and talking to him about what it means to be black. Together they illustrate how African-American society in the United States has been changing, what price it pays on a daily basis, and what a long road lies ahead of it. 

Please click on a photo to download: