Cast and Crew Online Conversation Oct. 28 through Oct. 30
WATCH Film Here for FREE: www.followmehomethemovie.com Until Nov. 4
Latin Heat News Services
The message of the film Follow Me Home (1996) directed by Peter Bratt, captured the struggle of people in the face of oppression; today its message is more relevant and urgent than ever.
The collective The BIG We partnered with the Follow Me Home Coalition and the nonprofit IllumiNative to present a nationwide online event that will feature dynamic conversations about race and our current political climate over three days Oct. 28 through 30.
Follow Me Home filmmakers partnered with the Follow Me Home Coalition to digitize the 1996 film and re-release it online nationally for free for one week beginning Oct. 22. through Nov. 4 at www.followmehomethemovie.com. Then audiences are invited to participate in a three-night curated live event of frank conversations around the themes of race, class and gender the film explores.
Confirmed event participants include director Peter Bratt and cast members Alfred Woodard, Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, and special guests Alice Walker, Dolores Huerta and Bakari Sellers.
After George Floyd’s tragic murder and the protests that followed, director Bratt received “impassioned calls from concerned citizens of every creed and color who thought that the film was still relevant today,” according to event organizers. As calls turned into action, Peter and Benjamin Bratt joined a small, passionate group of allies known as the Follow Me Home Coalition to re-share this tale. The Coalition’s hope is to help foster one of the “most pivotal conversations of our collective lives and to provoke change in the way we live in America,” read a press statement
“Stories have the power to change perception, and even policy,” said film director Bratt, who also wrote the screenplay. “They also have the ability to unite us as a people–an interdependent and interrelated community.”
Drawing upon Native, African and Latino culture, Follow Me Home is a rebellious fable of four Los Angeles street artists who hatch a plan to cover the White House with vibrantly painted murals. Joined by a woman with a haunting secret, they set off on an impetuous joyride across a desert landscape steeped in magic, mystery and danger. A powerful celebration of art, history, music and community, Follow Me Home challenges long-held beliefs about race and identity in America, adding an important voice to today’s racial reckoning.
Written and directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Peter Bratt, Follow Me Home stars Academy Award-nominee Alfred Woodard, Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, Calvin Levels, Steve Reevis, and features a then-unknown Salma Hayek; Executive Produced by Alpita Patel, Adam Zbar and John China.
The Sundance film has been praised by prominent cultural critics of color including Angela Davis, Alice Walker, June Jordan, and Toni Morrison and is revered for bringing voices and stories from the background to the forefront. The film has sparked lively, impassioned, and often emotional reactions, spotlighting the unsettled issues that yet cripple America as we rapidly approach a crucial election.
“It is an incredible gift for The BIG We to serve the vision of the film and curate talk backs and story circles for folks who are ready to talk about racial equity and justice,” says Anasa Troutman, The BIG We’s CEO. “Our goal is to start an enduring conversation that will magnify these stories and voices to boldly shape narratives that will transform how we think, speak, and move through this very critical time.”
Follow Me Home ‘s crew includes director of photography Garett Griffin, editor Robert Grahamjones, music composers Cyril Neville Speech and Roy Finch, production designer Katerina Keith, executive producers Alpita Patel, Adam Zbar and John China and producers Alan Renshaw, Irene Romero, Peter Bratt and Benjamin Bratt.
For schedule and additional details on the event and film, please visit www.FollowMeHomeTheMovie.com.