Underplayed Gems

4 Little Girls (1997)

4 Little Girls poster
Directed by
Spike Lee
Genre
documentary film, independent film, biographical film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 42m
Rating
7.2 of 10 from 54 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

This documentary recounts the 1963 bombing of a Birmingham church that killed four young girls. Spike Lee interviews family members and community figures about the tragedy and its place in the civil rights movement.

somberreflectivehistoricalemotionalrestrainedrespectfulpoignantcontemplative

What happens

4 Little Girls is a 1997 American historical documentary film about the murder of four African-American girls (Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Rosamond Robertson) in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963. The film was directed by Spike Lee and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. The events inspired the 1964 song "Birmingham Sunday" by Richard and Mimi Fariña, which was used in the opening sequence of the film, as sung by Joan Baez, Mimi's sister. They also inspired the 1963 tune "Alabama" by John Coltrane, which is also included in the soundtrack. 4 Little Girls premiered on June 25, 1997, at the Guild 50th Street Theatre in New York City. It was produced by Lee's production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, and Home Box Office (HBO). In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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