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SPIKE LEE ACCUSES EASTWOOD OF WHITE-WASHING WWII: Also, filmmaker announces plans for Michael Jordan documentary.
*During a press conference in Cannes on Tuesday, filmmaker Spike Lee took director Clint Eastwood to task for failing to include a single African American soldier in his two recent WWII-themed films.
Although hundreds of blacks fought in the battle for the Japanese island of Iwo Jima in 1945, none were present in Eastwood's two movies about the historic struggle, "Flags Of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima."
"Clint Eastwood made two films about Iwo Jima that ran for more than four hours total, and there was not one Negro actor on the screen," he said. "If you reporters had any balls you'd ask him why. There's no way I know why he did that -- that was his vision, not mine. But I know it was pointed out to him and that he could have changed it. It's not like he didn't know."
"There were many African-Americans who survived that war and who were upset at Clint for not having one [in the films]," Lee continued. "That was his version: the Negro soldier did not exist. I have a different version.”
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Clint Eastwood
The "Do the Right Thing" director was speaking at a press conference preceding the world premiere of an eight-minute trailer for his latest feature film "Miracle at St Anna," a WWII drama with which he hopes to set the record straight. The story follows members of the all-black 92nd Buffalo Division, which fought the Germans in Italy.
Meanwhile, Spike also broke news that he will shoot a feature-length documentary about NBA legend Michael Jordan that he hopes to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.
"Mike wants to come to Cannes, so hopefully we will be here next year," Lee told reporters.
The NBA is financing the film, with Lee's 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks shingle producing, reports Variety. The documentary will include extensive unseen footage shot by NBA cameras during the final two years in Jordan's career, the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
Lee and Jordan previously collaborated on a series of Nike TV commercials.
-------- ABFF 2008 --------
The 12th annual American Black Film Festival
returns to Los Angeles, August 7-10. Film
submission is now open. Registration
discounts are available through May 15.
For information visit www.abff.com
UPLIFTING MINDS RETURNS TO LA
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