Assata Shakur Documentary and Scripted Project in the Works From Giselle and Stephen Bailey; Angela Davis to Executive Produce (EXCLUSIVE)
Late political activist Assata Shakur is set to be the subject of a documentary feature and a scripted project by filmmakers Giselle and Stephen Bailey (HBO’s “Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television”).
Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army and had been a fugitive sought by the U.S. since escaping prison in 1979. Shakur died on Sept. 25 in Havana, Cuba, where she had received political asylum. She was 78 years old. The forthcoming projects are authorized by Shakur’s daughter, Kakuya Shakur, and produced and co-directed by the sister-brother filmmaking team through their banner, Indigo Films.
“Assata’s story is important to all Americans as it reveals the powers that divide us and our capacity to heal,” co-directors Giselle and Stephen Bailey said in a statement announcing the projects.
Civil rights lawyer Lennox Hinds, who served as counsel to Shakur, granted the filmmakers exclusive access, and political activist, professor and author Angela Davis is also on board as executive producer. The documentary is supported by Sundance, Firelight Media, the Concordia Fellowship and Chicken & Egg Films (which delivered a key research and development grant, supported by Netflix’s fund for creative equity).
Giselle and Stephen Bailey are Jamaican-American film and TV directors who have been featured on DOC NYC’s 40 under 40 list. Giselle Bailey was also awarded a Concordia Fellowship for directing and the William Greaves grant from Firelight Media. She most recently directed and produced the HBO documentary “Seen & Heard,” for which Stephen served as director of photography. The siblings also collaborated on HBO’s “The Legend of the Underground” (with Giselle as co-director and producer and Stephen as producer and DP) and Netflix’s “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop.” Stephen Bailey is also billed as a co-producer on the HBO doc, “Armed With Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud.” Giselle and Stephen Bailey are represented by WME.
Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army and had been a fugitive sought by the U.S. since escaping prison in 1979. Shakur died on Sept. 25 in Havana, Cuba, where she had received political asylum. She was 78 years old. The forthcoming projects are authorized by Shakur’s daughter, Kakuya Shakur, and produced and co-directed by the sister-brother filmmaking team through their banner, Indigo Films.
“Assata’s story is important to all Americans as it reveals the powers that divide us and our capacity to heal,” co-directors Giselle and Stephen Bailey said in a statement announcing the projects.
Civil rights lawyer Lennox Hinds, who served as counsel to Shakur, granted the filmmakers exclusive access, and political activist, professor and author Angela Davis is also on board as executive producer. The documentary is supported by Sundance, Firelight Media, the Concordia Fellowship and Chicken & Egg Films (which delivered a key research and development grant, supported by Netflix’s fund for creative equity).
Giselle and Stephen Bailey are Jamaican-American film and TV directors who have been featured on DOC NYC’s 40 under 40 list. Giselle Bailey was also awarded a Concordia Fellowship for directing and the William Greaves grant from Firelight Media. She most recently directed and produced the HBO documentary “Seen & Heard,” for which Stephen served as director of photography. The siblings also collaborated on HBO’s “The Legend of the Underground” (with Giselle as co-director and producer and Stephen as producer and DP) and Netflix’s “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop.” Stephen Bailey is also billed as a co-producer on the HBO doc, “Armed With Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud.” Giselle and Stephen Bailey are represented by WME.