Romare Bearden Doc Adds Grant Hill, Kimberly Evans Paige as Producers

NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill and veteran trade govt Kimberly Evans Paige boarded the upcoming documentary function “Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage” as govt producers.

The documentary presents a definitive, cinematic portrait of one among America’s most influential visible artists, Romare Bearden, and a lower of the movie will display screen at Cannes’ Marché du Film on Friday.

“Romare Bearden’s story is foundational to understanding the Black creative tradition,” stated Hill. “For years, I’ve had the privilege of sharing our collection of Black masters with audiences across the country. Bearden was a pioneer whose art spoke to our shared history and cultural memory. Supporting this film feels like a natural extension of that mission — to preserve, celebrate, and elevate the brilliance of Black artists for generations to come.”

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper (one among Variety’s 10 Documakers to Watch in 2016) and produced by Emmy winner Jarobi Moorhead, “Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage,” a launch explains, positions Bearden on the heart of American artwork and tradition, “illuminating how his images continue to shape the visual language of Black life worldwide.” The documentary follows Bearden’s journey from North Carolina to the Negro Leagues, World War II, Paris, and in the end Harlem, the place he translated the on a regular basis Black expertise into groundbreaking collage and portray.

“Bearden’s work captures the complexity, beauty, and resilience of Black life in ways that are both intimate and expansive,” added Paige, a veteran C-suite model architect with greater than 25 years of expertise in media, magnificence and tradition. “This film not only honors his legacy, but it also invites new audiences—especially young people and emerging artists—to see themselves reflected in his vision. I’m proud to help bring this story to screens, galleries, and classrooms around the world.”

“Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage,” the discharge provides, makes use of archival footage, collage-inspired visuals and commentary to “immerse audiences in the people, places and ideas that shaped Bearden’s artistic vision — from the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance to jazz, literature, and global modernism.” As such, the documentary options interviews with modern collectors — and cultural icons themselves — together with Denzel Washington and Usher, alongside main visible artists like Mickalene Thomas, Titus Kaphar and Derrick Adams, whose work extends Bearden’s legacy.

Scholars and cultural leaders, together with Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell (former President of Spelman College), Dr. Elizabeth Alexander (President of the Mellon Foundation) and Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims, additionally seem within the documentary to contextualize Bearden’s enduring affect on artwork, historical past and American id.

“Romare Bearden’s art captures the beauty, complexity, and resilience of Black life,” stated Draper. “Through his collages, he gave voice to entire generations, merging memory and imagination into a singular vision of what it means to be human and Black in America. This film is an invitation into his world—and a reminder of how urgently we need his perspective now.”

In addition to Hill and Paige, govt producers Robin Lyon, Jocelyn Moore and Alva Greenberg, and consulting producer Mikki Taylor spherical out the manufacturing group.

“Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage” is a Coffee Bluff Pictures manufacturing, supported by the Artemis Rising Foundation, KPJR Films, Dr. Sandra Nichols and Ronnie Nichols. The movie is at present in post-production and is represented by Ari Lever at CAA.