THEMOVIES

Toni (Miltona Mirkin) Bambara, born 1939 in Harlem, New York, was a multi-talented and influential artist, activist, college professor, and cultural worker until her untimely death in 1995. Throughout her life, Bambara wrote a number of essays, screenplays, anthologies, and film treatments. In Atlanta, Georgia, she began teaching in homes, community centers, and various campuses. In Philadelphia she was actively involved in the rise of Black independent cinema. The film is structured as a series of lessons on cultural organizing with information from various sources. The many people who knew her well and loved her deeply; friends, colleagues, and students. The result is an intimate story captured by the directors, documenting the essence of Bambara’s life and work and why it matters to us. Bambara: “Don’t leave the arena to the fools.”