WHEN WE WERE KINGS
Q&A with director Leon Gast, producer David Sonenberg & editor Jeffrey Levy-Hinte (co-presented by the Woodstock Film Festival)
“Nothing short of inspired” - Time Out
In 1974, boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman came to the still-emerging and politically unstable African nation of Zaire for what Ali called the “Rumble in the Jungle,” a highly publicized world heavyweight championship fight. Documentarian Leon Gast flew to Zaire to film both the fight and a music festival (featuring B.B. King, The Pointer Sisters, and Miriam Makeba) organized by promoter Don King. Gast’s footage was shelved for 22 years due to legal and financial problems, but when it was finally released in 1996, WHEN WE WERE KINGS provided a vivid portrait of the controversial Ali. At 33, he was considered past his prime for the Zaire fight, and his refusal to serve in the U.S. military on moral grounds was still an issue in the minds of many. But here, Ali displays strength, skill, intelligence, and tremendous charm, making it clear how he became one of the most renowned figures in the world of sports. And, while George Foreman is best known today as a genial commercial pitchman, he’s seen here as a strong, forbidding opponent, not especially articulate and seemingly unstoppable. The film also features interviews with several notable fight fans, including Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, and Spike Lee. A fascinating document of a great moment in sporting and cultural history, When We Were Kings [won] an Academy Award as Best Documentary Feature and won a Special Jury Recognition Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Buy the film: www.amazon.com/When-Were-Kings-Muhammad-Ali/
Co-presented by the Woodstock Film Festival.
Director: Leon GastRunning time: 94 minutes
Release date: 1997
Screened: SPRING 2008 May 20, 2008 8:00 pm
Tell a friend about this film
Join the STF Mailing List »
Upcoming Screenings
Sep 20: THE HOUSE OF STEINBRENNER
by Barbara KoppleSTF pre-season MONDAY SPECIAL (Season passes now on sale at early bird rate through Thurs. Sept. 16; Individual tickets go on sale Fri. Sept. 17, subject to availability) Love them or hate them, ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Sep 28: MARWENCOL
by Jeff MalmbergSTF Fall Season Opening Night (Season passes now on sale at early bird rate through Thurs. Sept. 16; Individual tickets go on sale later in Sept.) STF kicks off its fall season with MARWENCOL, ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Oct 5: AMERICAN SPLENDOR
by Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini(Season passes now on sale at early bird rate through Thurs. Sept. 16; Individual tickets go on sale later in Sept.) STF pays tribute to Harvey Pekar, who recently died, with this special screening ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Oct 12: ON COAL RIVER
by Francine Cavanaugh & Adams WoodON COAL RIVER takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey into the Coal River Valley of West Virginia, where longtime local residents begin to uncover the toxic effects of America’s increased ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Oct 19: THE CANAL STREET MADAM
by Cameron YatesUntil an FBI bust upended her life, Jeanette Maier was a successful New Orleans madam. Her discreet clientele included a number of powerful, high-ranking politicians. The ensuing very public trial - ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Oct 26: TAKING ON THE KENNEDYS
by Joshua Seftel“A film that would be mistaken for a Robert Altman political satire if it weren’t absolutely and horribly true.” —USA TODAY When Kevin Vigilante took on Patrick Kennedy for a seat in the U.S. House ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Nov 2: WO AI NI MOMMY (I LOVE YOU MOMMY)
by Stephanie Wang-BrealIn presenting WO AI NI MOMMY with the Sterling Award for Best US Feature this past June, the jury at Silverdocs noted: “The film dives so deeply into its story that the filmmaker’s hands disappear. ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Nov 9: WAR DON DON
by Rebecca Richman CohenProfiled in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces in Independent Film as an “up-and-comer poised to shape the next generation of independent film”, Rebecca Richman Cohen won Special Jury at SXSW and the ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Nov 16: 12TH & DELAWARE
by Heidi Ewing & Rachel GradyHeidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, the filmmaking team behind the 2006 Oscar-nominated doc JESUS CAMP, take us on another controversial journey with 12TH & DELAWARE. Description from Sundance 2010 ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Nov 23: MARLENE
by Maximilian SchellDirector Maximilian Schell got the reclusive Marlene Dietrich to agree to appear in this documentary only on the stipulation that she not be photographed as she looked today. Instead, we only hear ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
Nov 30: SURVIVING HITLER: A LOVE STORY
by John-Keith WassonWinner of the Inspiration Award at the 2010 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival As a teenager in Nazi Germany, Jutta is shocked to discover she is Jewish. She joins the German resistance and meets ...
Get More info or Buy Tickets »
