Ailey | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jamila Wignot |
Produced by |
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Cinematography | Naiti Gámez |
Edited by | Annukka Lilja |
Music by | Daniel Bernard Roumain |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Neon |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 94 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $214,328 [2] [3] |
Ailey is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Jamila Wignot, which follows the life of dancer Alvin Ailey.
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021. It was released on July 23, 2021, by Neon.
The film follows the life of dancer Alvin Ailey.
In 2017, Wignot was approached by Insignia Films to direct a documentary about Ailey after discovering American Masters had not produced a documentary film revolving around his life, and that no film biographies about Ailey existed. [4] Production on the film began in Summer 2018, and concluded in October 2019. [5] Wingot also incorporated audio recordings made by Ailey, for an autobiography he was collaborating on with A. Peter Bailey, feeling it was important to have the story told in his voice. [6] [7]
Wignot wanted to include apart from Ailey's life and career, a contemporary element to the film by filming rehearsals of Lazarus by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company to show Ailey's impact and leverage for the next generation of artists. [8]
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021. [9] [10] Shortly after, Neon acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. [11] It was released on July 23, 2021. [12] It was broadcast on American Masters on PBS on January 11, 2022. [13]
Ailey received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 90% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 80 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.60/10. The critics consensus reads "Ailey pays invigorating tribute to its subject's brilliant legacy -- and offers a tantalizing introduction to the rest of a fascinating story." [14] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 77 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]
Jonita Davis of The Black Cape said the film "works to chronicle the rise off a legend while also documenting the hardships of performing in the US from the 1950s onward." [16] Gia Kourlas of The New York Times gave the film a positive review writing: "Wignot layers images, video and - most important - voice-overs from Ailey to create a portrait that feels as poetic and nuanced as choreography itself." [17]
Alvin Ailey Jr. was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Center as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate artistic director Matthew Rushing.
Robert Battle is a dancer, choreographer and the former Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
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Tracy Inman is an American dancer, choreographer, and educator who performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He is currently the co-director of The Ailey School and a choreographer & consultant for the television series Pose.
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Jamila Wignot is an American film director and producer. Wignot has directed Ailey (2021), and co-directed Town Hall (2013) with Sierra Pettengill. In 2024, Wignot directed and produced Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. for HBO.