In the light of recent events, an important question has arisen: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know who I am?”
That question is at the center of Matt Ornstein’s Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America, a controversial documentary from First Run Features.
Daryl Davis is a black American who has performed with the likes of Chuck Berry and Little Richard. He also just so happens to have a very unusual hobby – he befriends those in the KKK (and other white supremacy groups), collecting memorabilia to start a “Museum of the Klan.” He believes that the KKK is as American as baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet…and that’s not necessarily a good thing for our country.
The just released trailer for the forthcoming documentary shows just how heavy and deep this story goes. While controversial, Davis has built relationships with Klan members, succeeding in getting some of his old friends to leave the organization as he works to better understand the history, attempting to bridge the gap of understanding.
Director Matt Ornstein follows Davis as he sits down with friends who have both left and remain part of the Klan, discussing their viewpoints, their intent and their wishes for future generations. Additionally we get open dialogue with civil rights activists and neo-Nazis, helping to shape a more detailed picture at the current state of America’s strained racial relations.
This movie looks absolutely fascinating and something that will definitely start up conversations. The film won a plethora of film festival awards, including SXSW, Nashville Film Festival, Chagrin Falls Documentary Festival and the Napa valley Film Festival.
Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America is set for a December 9th release.
