An Unlikely Friendship 2002
Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40th Street, New York, NY 10016; 202-808-4980
Produced by In-Focus
Directed by Diane Bloom
VHS, color, 43 min.
Adult
African American Studies
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Nancy E. Frazier, E. H. Butler Library, State University of New York College at BuffaloThey say opposites attract. Lucky for two people with clashing beliefs, and luckier still for the city of Durham, North Carolina, this turned out to be true! Ann Atwater, a Black activist, and C.P. Ellis, a former Ku Klux Klan Exalted Cyclops, met in 1971 as community leaders with very different agendas. Durham, North Carolina was plagued with problems, fed by a racial divide that was ready to explode over a court order for school desegregation.
A short-term problem solving session called a charrette was implemented to address the issues. Ann, described as an icon in the Black community, had become a respected activist through her tireless work as a neighborhood leader. She had fought her way through poverty and discrimination, educating herself and others about community issues. C.P. faced financial problems and had joined the Klan seeking respect and community standing.
Called upon to represent their respective groups, Ann and C.P. started out at opposite ends of an argument, but grew to understand each other and find common ground. Personal interviews with Ann, C.P, and other members of the community reveal how people can shed prejudice and fear. The film’s focus on the individual personalities of Ann and C.P. offers a powerful message about working beyond differences. Photographs, news footage, and interviews with charrette participants provide insight into the racial climate of Durham at the time.
C.P. heard his own concerns as a parent voiced by many in the Black community, and tore up his Klan card at the meeting. Through listening to Ann, he learned to respect her position and to care about her as a person. Their unique friendship was the subject of a 1997 book by Osha Gray Davidson entitled Best of Enemies: Race & Redemption in the New South. In addition, Pulitzer Prize winning author Studs Terkel described his meeting with C.P. Ellis as the “most revelatory interview I ever had.”
Recommended. This film would provide an excellent starting point for discussions or workshops about race relations and community problem-solving.
Awards: Platinum Award, Houston WorldFest International Film Festival, 2002