Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

Wisconsin Premiere • documentary • USA • 2019 • DCP • • 119 MIN

section: American Visions

A suitably reverent portrait of one of America's essential writers, this intimate documentary grants us the gift of hearing Toni Morrison tell her own story. Warmly gazing straight through the lens and into our soul, the 87-year old Nobel laureate reflects on her trailblazing career with the same abundance of grace, insight, and humanity found in her novels. In transcendent works including Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Beloved, Morrison strove to depict the myriad aspects of the African-American experience that were totally absent from literature, illustrating time and again how "the history of the place of black people in this country is so varied, complex, beautiful, and impactful." In addition to extensive interviews with Morrison, friends and peers including Angela Davis, Oprah Winfrey, Hilton Als, and Fran Lebowitz expand on the author's seismic cultural impact and individual importance. Whether you are a lifelong fan or new to her work, this celebration of an American icon will send you racing to the library. 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (MK)