NAT KING COLE – AFRAID OF THE DARK
2014-05-12Imagine what it would feel like to be the only black television star in Hollywood at a time when the Klu Klux Klan acted out violently against black persons, when America groaned under the weight of segregation and prejudice. Imagine being in possession of a natural talent so great, unique and disarming that these issues were seemingly swept to one side to allow you to perform and be acknowledged for this gift, yet behind closed doors they were trying to think of a way to package you as something you were not: white.
This candid account of the actual happenings in and around the “fairytale” life of fame and fortune of Nat King Cole are taken from the private journals of Nat King Cole and a series of exclusive interviews. Subjects include Nat’s widow Maria Cole and a host of family, contemporaries and friends. With unparalleled access, Jon Brewer’s film explores the life of a true cultural and musical icon. Some of these shocking stories have never been told before, speaking a wider truth of the national climate at the time, and beg the question “how far have we come?”.
In theatres May 13th, 2014