The Business
Director Raoul Peck on 'I Am Not Your Negro'
Director Raoul Peck's film about the essayist and activist James Baldwin was a decade in the making. Now, I Am Not Your Negro is Oscar-nominated for best documentary. Peck tells us how he got access to Baldwin's archives and why right now is the perfect time to learn about the late writer.
By Kim Masters • • 28m ListenHaitian-born director Raoul Peck long dreamed of making a film about his literary hero, writer and activist James Baldwin. When he approached the late author's sister to get the rights to do it, she agreed right away, even though he had no clear vision of how he would tackle his subject. A decade later, his documentary I Am Not Your Negro is in Oscar contention and Peck is finding Baldwin's words more relevant than ever.
Photo: James Baldwin in I Am Not Your Negro (Dan Budnik/Magnolia Pictures)
