Maya Angelou and Still I Rise

Maya Angelou and Still I Rise (2016) was co-directed by Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack.

Maya Angelou was an icon of our times. This is a solid biography, filled with clips from Angelou's past as well as interviews with celebrities who knew her: Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Nikki Giovanni, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, etc.

Somehow, this biography didn't move me as much as I thought it would. It's true that, not being a person of color, I may have missed some aspects of Dr. Angelou's personality and achievements that others perceived.

For me--as for many--Maya Angelou is remembered as a poet. I think that's what was missing from the film. We hardly heard Dr. Angelou or anyone else recite her poetry. I think that would have made for a more meaningful movie.

The film worked well on the small screen. It has a very strong IMDb rating of 7.9. I didn't think it was quite that good, and rated it 7.

This is a definitive film about an American icon. It is beautifully crafted and surprisingly immersive and emotional, touching on themes of race, language, civil rights and creativity among many others. Beyond being an entertaining and comprehensive exploration of a fascinating life, it shall correctly be considered "important," especially for these times. The film was accepted to Cannes, has won multiple festival awards, and deserves Oscar nomination. Not only is it the result of a successful first-time collaboration between Co-Directors Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack, it is the most ambitious documentary (of many strong ones) produced by Media Process Group. The long creative partnership between Hercules and acclaimed cinematographer Keith Walker is on full display in this big feature doc, anchored by gorgeous interviews with a large cast of notables (including Maya Angelou, Cicely Tyson, Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Quincy Jones, Louis Gossett Jr., and many others) and backed by a thorough array of exceptional archival footage and rare still images. I highly recommend it.

I didn't know much about Maya Angelou before watching this documentary. I wasn't interested in the past because I'm a conservative and had always heard she was very liberal. That said, I fell in love with her watching this documentary. When you see and hear her story, all of the struggles she overcame and just her passion, strength and determination, you walk away inspired. I can't wait to read her many books that she has written.