Jane Elliott Against the World

United States202699 minEnglish

A rural Iowa schoolteacher becomes a national voice against racism after leading a controversial 1968 lesson in discrimination with her all-white third-grade class. Now nearly 90, she refuses to hold back amid today’s fights about race, history, and power after a lifetime of speaking out.

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For more than 50 years, educator Jane Elliott has made it her mission to dismantle racism, regardless of the personal cost. She introduced her contentious “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” social experiment in the immediate aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination; subsequent media exposure — including the 1970 documentary The Eye of the Storm — took her lesson across the country. Back home in Riceville, Iowa, however, Elliott and her family faced a backlash that has left a lasting impact. As Judd Ehrlich’s compelling portrait demonstrates, she remains an unapologetic and outspoken force of nature, determined to use her privilege to effect change, especially now, when her message is needed the most. Jane Elliott Against the World is an urgent film for this moment — and Elliott isn't about to quiet down. — BT

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 29–February 1) and credentialed press and industry (January 28–February 1).

PremieresAll FeaturesBiographyWomen-Centered StoriesNonfictionClosed CaptionOpen CaptionU.S. Only- less

Credits

Director(s)
Judd Ehrlich
Producers
Judd Ehrlich
Max Powers
Elena Gaby
Cinematographers
Peter Eliot Buntaine
Sean Hanley
Edited by
Max Powers
Leah Goudsmit
Albin R. Pepe
Composer
Khari Mateen
Participants
Jane Elliott
Killer Mike
Ibram X. Kendi

Company
Flatbush Pictures
Website
https://flatbushpictures.com/
Contact
Judd Ehrlich
judd@flatbushpictures.com
7187044062

Meet the Artist

Judd Ehrlich

Judd Ehrlich is an Emmy-, Grand Clio-, and Cannes Lion-winning documentary director and producer. According to The New York Times, he "clearly knows his craft". His films, including The Price of Freedom, Keepers of the Game, and We Could Be King, premiered at the Tribeca Festival and have aired on ABC, CNN, ESPN, and HBO.

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