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LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton
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Wikipedia article
'LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton' is a 2001 American documentary film directed by Deborah Dickson, Susan Froemke and Albert Maysles. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 74th Academy Awards.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sLhQ8eS974 Documentary Winners: 2002 Oscars]
Content
'LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton' has two storylines, both of which show the impoverished life of residents in the American South. The documentary draws the connection—a vicious cyclebetween poverty and the lack of education opportunity for black people living in the Mississippi Delta, over 150 years after the abolition of slavery.
Laura Lee (LaLee) Wallace, a great-granddaughter of a slave, is an illiterate 62-year-old woman who has been living all her life in Tallahatchie County, one of the poorest in the United States. She has one surviving son, nine daughters, 38 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. Her daily living consists of many difficulties: LaLee has to raise many of her grandchildren, her son is continually put in prison, and most of her daughters have to leave Tallahatchie County searching for work. LaLee's life is heavily dependent on the cotton industry; she struggles to earn a living by cooking lunches for people working in local cotton factories.
Reggie Barnes is the superintendent of the West Tallahatchie school system, which is put on probation by the state due to poor standardized test results. The school has the hardship of trying to educate the children of illiterate parents. If it fails to raise the annual standardized test scores, the school will be taken over by the state
Production and release
The documentary is noted for using the direct cinema techniques, thus creating a "more intimate and confronting work."[http://wsws.org/articles/2001/sep2001/sff5-s07.shtml Two fine examples of "direct cinema"] from World Socialist Web Site
The film was shown at the Seattle International Film Festival (May 24June 17, 2001) and participated in the Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah (January 1828, 2001). 'LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton' was released theatrically in New York City on June 22, 2001. The film was released on DVD in 2010.
Reception
Critical reaction
'LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton' received highly positive reviews by the critics. The documentary received a score of 78 out of 100 at 'Metacritic' based on 5 reviews.[https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/laleeskin?q=LaLee's%20Kin:%20The%20Legacy%20of%20Cotton LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton] from Metacritic 'The New York Times's critic A. O. Scott praised the film as "an exemplary work of cinma vrit that allows its subjects to speak for themselves."[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/22/arts/22LALE.html 'LaLee's Kin': Pride, Hope and Hardship in the Land of Cotton] from 'The New York Times' 'TV Guide' rated the film 3 out of 4 stars.[https://www.tvguide.com/movies/lalees-kin-legacy/review/135303 Lalee's Kin: The Legacy Of Cotton: Review] from TV Guide Meanwhile, 'Variety' magazine considered the film "an especially humanistic entry in the Maysles canon."[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117797111.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=LaLee%27s+Kin film review] from 'Variety magazine'Nominations and awards
'LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton' garnered a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at both the 74th Academy Awards and the 17th Independent Spirit Awards. Veteran documentarian Albert Maysles won the "Excellence in Cinematography Award" at the Sundance Film Festival.References
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