''Sing Your Song'' is a 2011 documentary that tells the story of

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

. The film recounts his life and legacy, not only as a great entertainer, but as an important activist in the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

. This inspirational biographical film begins with Belafonte's birth into poverty in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

in 1927, and childhood years in Jamaica, sent there by his immigrant mother. Director Susanne Rostock takes the viewer through his discovery of theater and training as an actor as a young man, and on to his career and success as a singer. The film shows not only Belafonte's remarkable success as a singer and actor, but also his true passion for social change. The film outlines some highlights of his entertainment career, but is more focused on how he helped change the world in other ways: marching with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil-rights era; working against apartheid in South Africa; fighting hunger through his instrumental work with USA for Africa; and, most recently, working to combat gang violence through programs with inner-city youth. In an interview about the film, Belafonte discussed his activism from Civil Rights to poverty in Africa. The film won an award in section "American Docs" on the 2.

American Film Festival American Film Festival is a film festival held annually in October in Wrocław, Poland. The first festival was held from 20 to 24 October 2010. The festival is organized by Stowarzyszenie Nowe Horyzonty and co-funded by the Wroclaw Municipality a ...

. At the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival, ''Sing Your Song'' won the Most Popular Nonfiction Film Award, which is based on ballots cast by audiences at the festival. Belafonte presented the film as the Closing Night selection of

Maryland Film Festival The Maryland Film Festival is an annual five-day international film festival taking place each May in Baltimore, Maryland. The festival was launched in 1999, and presents international film and video work of all lengths and genres. The festival ...

2011. The film advanced to the final 15 contenders for the

Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosoph ...

but was not nominated. On January 10, 2012, REACT to FILM screened ''Sing Your Song'' at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in Manhattan, NY, and moderated a Q&A with Belafonte.

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 1787797, Sing Your Song
Q&A about the film with Gina Belafonte
at Vimeo
News article
(''The Globe and Mail'')

(''The Vancouver Sun'') American biographical films Documentary films about singers Documentary films about actors American documentary films 2011 films 2011 documentary films Documentary films about African Americans 2010s English-language films 2010s American films