Strange Fruit (short film)

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Movie
Original title Strange Fruit
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1978
length 32 minutes
Rod
Director Seth Pinsker
script Stephen Katz
production Seth Pinsker
music Don Peake
camera Robert Elswit
cut Richard Freeman
Seth Pinsker
occupation

Strange Fruit is an American drama short film directed by Seth Pinsker in 1978.

action

A small town in Georgia in 1948: Black Henry works as a painter in the city's courthouse. Here Reverend Daniels appears with Henry's friend Lucas. He wants to register as a voter and has been taking part in the Reverend's training sessions with Henry for some time. Henry, who had skipped the lessons for a long time, witnesses how both men are put off at first, since Hughes, who is responsible for registration, is busy. Hughes later asks Lucas a few questions about the United States' political system and takes an illicit question when Lucas knows all the answers. Only when the Reverend threatens to denounce Hughes for the question does Hughes give in and register Lucas as a voter. On his way home, Henry meets the Reverend, who tries to convince him to attend class again. Henry refuses, his mother is against his being registered.

Some time later, Henry finds the dead Reverend in the river. In the village, he is given complicity in death, having left the Reverend in the lurch. Henry is now beginning to re-study to register as a voter and will soon appear at Hughes to be registered. Hughes keeps him waiting all day for free. Henry's mother Maisy, meanwhile, finds Henry's study materials and burns them, but Henry doesn't give up. When he reappeared at the Omar courthouse, several men beat him up. Shortly thereafter, a sheriff appears and arrests Henry for causing a disturbance. Before Maisy, Henry makes it clear that he will not back down. During the night, Sheriff Maxwell appears at the family's house to take Henry to friends who live far away and thus save him. Henry was declared an outlaw. Henry only accepts the offer when he realizes that staying there would endanger Maisy and his brother. The sheriff's car is pursued and forced to stop. A group of men beat up Henry and kidnapped him. The next day Maisy finds him strangled not far from her house. At the funeral service two white people disturb the singing of the congregation, but Henry's little brother stands up and explains that no one is afraid of them anymore. Back at her house, Masy pulls out the Constitution Henry studied over and over again. She lets her son read to her that everyone, regardless of race and skin color, has the right to choose. Maisy asks her son to continue reading.

production

Strange Fruit is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Lillian Smith (1897–1966). The Filmbauten submitted by Nelson Willis . The film ran in October 1979 as part of the Chicago International Film Festival .

Awards

Seth Pinsker won the Golden Plaque for Best Short Film (Drama) for Strange Fruit at the Chicago International Film Festival . The film was nominated in 1979 for an Oscar in the category of best short film.

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