It’s become common knowledge that historical dramas equal Oscar nominations at the very least. Employing an Academy Award winning writer furthers one’s chances of glory, and that’s exactly where I Am A Man looks to be going. Geoffrey Fletcher, the Oscar winning writer behind Precious, has signed on to pen the film, adding further promise to an already anticipated film.
The film is an adaptation of Michael K. Honey’s 2007 book about the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike that became a turning point in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. It’s quite apt that Fletcher, the first black writer to win the Oscar for Best Screenwriting, is heading the script, and it’ll be interesting to see how he transforms the period piece for the modern political climate.
The workers strike, carried out by black employees over poor working conditions and discrimination, drew Martin Luther King Jr, the National Guard and the national media for what was a 65-day, often violent labor action. It was in support of the workers for which King was in Memphis April 4, the day he was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The strike ended 12 days later.
The latest in a string of political, social justice addressing films, the project was dreamt up by Director of Development at Sycamore Pictures, Andrew Terhune. Ben Nearn and Tom Rice produce.
Fletcher has commented on the nature of the film, “in my opinion, some of the best stories combine well-known history with the unknown history surrounding it. This is one of those stories. It is an honor to work on a project of such significance. In these desperate and divided times, this is a story of genuine superheroes“.
#Peace.Love.GeoffreyFletcher
