Oscar winner, Monique Williams lights up the big screen once again in her indie film, Blackbird. The Patrick Ian -Polk directed film also stars, actor Isaiah Washington, and lead star Julian Walker. Blackbird debut at the Pan African American Film Festival this past weekend, and the film scored great reviews.
Blackbird is based off the novel Larry Duplechan.
” In short the films tells a story of Randy Rousseau a 17-year-old choir boy living with his family in a tight-nit Mississippi town who not only struggles with his mis-fit status in the religiously conservative community but is consistently plagued by a series of disturbing premonitions.”
” Randy’s world becomes even more complicated when the sudden disappearance of his younger sister results in the break-up of his parents – an event his grief-stricken mother blames him for after discovering a shocking secret he’s been hiding. “
The movie was shot in Hattensburg, Mississippi and Monique Williams and her husband Sidney Hicks are the executive producers of the film.
When asked about the film, and her decision to get involved Monique told the Insider says:
“She’s a tough character. She’s not Mary Jones but I know this woman, she’s a ‘CHRISTIAN‘ and in her mind to be a christian it is just a sin to GOD to be a ‘homosexual‘ so in the film she fights with her son to say because of your choices, because of what you chose, this is what you’ve done to our family.”
” Because in the black community to be ‘GAY‘ it is still very taboo, and it’s still looked upon as a ‘SIN‘ and you should be ashamed of it. So were really excited about this project because it covers all areas but really its covering this young man coming to grips with is SEXUALITY. ”
” Right now when you have so many of our young men and women coming out. You have GMA reporter, Robin Roberts, whose in her forties CNN new anchor, Don Lemmons and Michael Sam...What were hoping with this project/film is it allows our babies at 12, 13, 14 to say this is who I am with no apologies. “
Make sure you support this film PLUM’s and continue to have a dialogue about these vital issues that impact our communities and families. Take a look at the movie trailer below.