Since its beginning, every year, I research the schedule of the Jacksonville Film Festival, looking for black films. Last year, out of over 20 films last year, there was only 2 films (such as the Hip Hop Project) and another with a appearance by Kadeem Hardison (of A Different World fame). Well this year, we've got A Perfect Match and North Starr, 2 hip hop inspired documentaries and 90 Milas (about Cuban music) found interesting.
Jacksonville native Rachel Viollet co-wrote and co-directed this documentary about the friendship between two tennis players: black American Althea Gibson (who integrated American tennis) and Jewish Englishwoman Angela Buxton. Ostracized by many in the tennis community, they teamed up to win the doubles championship at Wimbledon in 1956.
It's 1950 and the civil rights movement is beginning to take shape. Racial tension is escalating as blacks attempt to break down the barriers of segregation. Althea Gibson, 20, is the best Negro tennis player in America. Having grown up on the rough streets of Harlem, Althea now dreams of becoming a tennis champion, but her battle to integrate the elitist sport would prove tumultuous. Five years later, Althea meets Angela Buxton, a Jewish girl from London, who is also an outcast on the international tennis circuit. Angela and Althea become best friends and win the 1956 Wimbledon Doubles Championship, thus proving what friendship, courage and determination can achieve in the face of adversity.
*Note: "A Perfect Match" will be preceded by the short film "Racket".
Saturday (5/17) at the downtown library, a group of 50-70 (10 blacks), watched the first edited version of A Perfect Match. Violet said she and her co-producer made the decision to screen the film at festivals to build awareness but do have intentions of doing another edit of the film. The film begin with the camera person asking spectators of Wimbledon, who was the first African American to play Wimbledon, everyone said Arthur Ashe. This inspired Violet (former tennis player and friend of Angela Buxton) even more to make the film because it showed how Althea has been forgotten and not properly acknowledged for her contributions to tennis. The film was very informative and inspiring, providing lots of background information and interviews with Gibson's family members and friends. After the screening audience members suggested for the final edit: more video interviews of Althea Gibson herself, exploration of her friendship with Angela Buxton further, her life after tennis (i.e. involvement with professional golf), and why she did not benefit financially from tennis as many of the white players did.
There was also mention of a feature film of story in the future.
Related links for more information
http://jacksonville.bside.com/2008/films/aperfectmatch_jacksonville2008;jsessionid=6938B7F55A13285E77646008FA45A85E (Jax Film Festival page)
http://www.altheagibson.com/biographical.htm (bio)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althea_Gibson (wikipedia)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YmbLdCJNpR8 (video - youtube)
Up next on Monday, at 6pm at Main Library - North Starr, here's the trailer http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=22956281