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- 2023
- HBO Documentary Films
- 1 h 42 m
- 2023
- HBO Documentary Films
- 1 h 42 m
Summary Intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni as she reflects on her life and legacy.
Directed By: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
- 2023
- HBO Documentary Films
- 1 h 42 m
- 2023
- HBO Documentary Films
- 1 h 42 m
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
73
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
Summary Intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni as she reflects on her life and legacy.
Directed By: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
73
88% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
13% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
73
88% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
13% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project will school you thoroughly on why this great poet is so damn important.
Where Going to Mars undoubtedly succeeds is in spotlighting the poet’s blazing personality, her unwavering confidence and her commitment to community without ever sacrificing herself.
"Going to Mars” responds creatively to the call of its ingenious subject thanks to the directors’ soulful grasp of her work, and Terra Long and Lawrence Jackman’s skillful editing.
Brewster and Stephenson struggle to penetrate the armor of this famous poet, focusing instead on her career, her health, and the way that others look at her. Most often they do so with deep admiration, a longing to be fixed by Giovanni.
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project does an admirable job capturing the aesthetic of Nikki Giovanni’s life and poetry. It offers windows into certain parts of history, and glimpses into her ongoing evolution as an artist. Unfortunately, those glimpses don’t offer enough to be memorable.
While Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project doesn’t wholly breach the bubble surrounding Giovanni, by the end, Brewster and Stephenson, through tender immersion and lyrical invention, inspires viewers who have maybe never read Giovanni to seek out her poems, the one that say everything about the spirit of the woman who cannot wholly be captured on camera.
The documentary offers only what the poet is willing to give.
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Production Company
Confluential Films,
Bertha Doc Society Journalism Fund,
Ford Foundation - Just Films,
Rada Studio
Release Date Nov 3, 2023
Duration 1 h 42 m
Genres
Awards
Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
Fort Worth Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
International Documentary Association
• 2 Nominations