American Promise (film)

American Promise is a documentary film spanning 13 years from directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson.[2] The film captures the stories of Brewster and Stephenson's 5-year-old son Idris and his best friend and classmate Seun as these families navigate their way through the rigorous prep-school process and secure admission to the Dalton School.[3][4] The film is set against the backdrop of a persistent educational achievement gap that dramatically affects African-American boys at all socioeconomic levels across the country.[citation needed] The film's focus shifted based on the experiences that Idris and Seun faced while at Dalton.[5]

American Promise
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoe Brewster
Michèle Stephenson
Release date
  • January 20, 2013 (2013-01-20) (Sundance)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$94,000[1]

American Promise premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a special jury award.[6] The filmmakers also launched a national campaign at Sundance to help raise $100,000 and 100,000 volunteer hours for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Mentoring Brothers in Action program.

Release edit

The PBS documentary series POV broadcast American Promise in 2013. Random House was set to publish a companion book about the film and the issues it raises in conjunction with the American Promise Campaign.[citation needed]

References edit

  1. ^ "American Promise (2013)". Box Office Mojo. 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  2. ^ Merry, Stephanie (2013-10-31). "'American Promise' movie review". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  3. ^ Dargis, Manohla (2013-10-17). "Two Boys' Schooling, for 13 Years of It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  4. ^ "'American Promise' Probes Race Issues In NYC Private School". NPR.org. 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  5. ^ Jackson, Carol (2014-02-03). "Black Child In A Mostly White School: Story Spans 13 Years". Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  6. ^ Vlessing, Etan (2020-07-21). "'American Promise' Producer Rada Film Group Rebrands". Retrieved 2021-12-04.

External links edit