Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A documentary film with the title Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound. Narrated by actress Claudia McNeil, the documentary examines the life and work of playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The film focuses on Hansberry's life and how it influenced her most famous work, "Raisin in the Sun." It also makes extensive use of clips from the 1961 film version of the play to showcase the ideas being presented. The film begins with a television interview clip of Hansberry describing the role of the dramatist in depicting conflict. This is followed by a clip from the film version of "Raisin in the Sun" featuring Sidney Poitier. Next, the title cards appear over shots of people arriving for a performance of "Raisin in the Sun." Unidentified African drumming plays in the background.

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