Emmett Till – German History X

In summer 1955, a long-awaited dream comes true for Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy from a good family. Despite the reservations of his single mom Mamie, with whom he lives in Chicago, she allows him to visit his relatives in Mississippi. Mamie, who comes from the South and has had painful experiences with the segregation laws there, is tormented by bad premonitions after Emmett’s departure. Arriving in the small town of Money with Uncle Mose, Aunt Lizzy and Cousin Maurice, Emmett encounters an environment in which both blacks and whites live strictly according to the rules of segregation, have deeply internalized the Jim Crow laws and practice them on a daily basis. Despite this, Emmett and Maurice experience the adventure of an exciting coming-of-age summer together – until Maurice challenges Emmett to test his courage. Although he knows about the brutal laws of the southern states, he makes a bet with Emmett. Will Emmett dare to approach the pretty white woman Carolyn Bryant in her grocery store? Emmett dares. But the harmless game has unexpected consequences for him. At night, Emmett is taken from Uncle Mose’s house by Carolyn’s husband Roy Bryant and his cohorts and kidnapped. His family is left in the dark. Three days later, Emmett’s body is found in the Tallahatchie River. One eye gouged out, his head split open, a weight fastened around his neck with barbed wire. For her son’s public funeral, Mamie decides to lay her son in an open coffin. His death should not have been in vain. Countless people pay their last respects to Emmett. Journalists from all over the world come to report on the racially motivated murder. A short time later, the case is heard in court in just 5 days. Despite deep feelings of guilt, the white teacher Roanne, who involuntarily witnessed Emmett’s execution, testifies on behalf of Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam. In doing so, she saves the two defendants from prison. They are acquitted by an all-white jury. Only 4 months after the acquittal, Roy and J.W.Milam bluntly confess to the murder in an interview with the US magazine LOOK.

But the pictures of Emmett’s completely mutilated body went around the world. They are a pivotal moment in the civil rights movements in the USA and worldwide.The film also draws parallels to similar events of our time and thus poses the question to our society of how to deal with the victims and their relatives of racially motivated attacks. The dramaturgical approachs is remarkable, as the BLACK ensemble not only embody all Black but also the white roles. The conception, the way this film project was created has never been seen before in Germany in this minimalist style à la DOGVILLE.

Emmett Till
Esmael AGOSTINHO

Mamie Till
Dela DABULAMANZI

Carolyn Bryant
Samia DAUENHAUER

Roy Bryant
Selam TADESE

Roanne Taylor
Lara- Sophie MILAGRO

Aunty Lizzy
Agnes LAMPKIN

Uncle Mose
Asad SCHWARZ

Maurice
Seedy TOURAY

Producers
Dela DABULAMANZI, Tibor LOCHER Lara-Sophie MILAGRO

Co-producers
Achtung Panda, Jamila WENSKE/ Jip Verleih, Julia PETERS and Jutta FEIT

Concept & Director
Lara-Sophie MILAGRO

Co-director
Dela DABULAMANZI

Screenplay
Clare COSS

Assistant director
Selen ERICOK

Cinematography
Tibor LOCHER

Dramaturgy
Katja WENZEL

Dramaturgical consultation
Queerfeministisches Kollektiv SWOOSH LIEU

Camera
Tibor LOCHER

2nd camera
Jide AKINLEMINU

3rd camera
Janne EBEL

Gaffer
Janne EBEL

Set design
Lara- Sophie MILAGRO

Dance / Movement
Mattis NOLTE , Raphael HILLEBRAND

Musical direction
Markus SYPEREK

Editing Rough cut
Tibor LOCHER, Lara-Sophie MILAGRO

Editing consultation
Dela DABULAMANZI, Katja WENZEL

Costumes
Geraldine ARNOLD

Make-up
Layana FLACHS, Guerdy CASIMIR

Casting
Dela DABULAMANZI, Lara-Sophie MILAGRO

Sound
Tim MÜLLER

Sound
Rhys ANDERSON

Sound
Lucas WOJATSCHKE

Production management
Natascha TERTRE, Judith KÖNIG

Props
Carole JACHTMANN

Set Photography
Celine RODRIGUES

Legal Advice
Cornelia BAUER

Catering
Monica KISIC

Image and Sound Post-Production
klangBezirk