A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.(February 2024) |
Bella! | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jeff L. Lieberman |
Written by | Jeff L. Lieberman |
Produced by | Jeff L. Lieberman Jamila C. Fairley |
Starring | Barbra Streisand, Shirley MacLaine, Hillary Clinton, Lily Tomlin, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Maxine Waters, Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas, Charles Rangel, David Dinkins, Renée Taylor |
Cinematography | Jeff L. Lieberman |
Edited by | Jeff L. Lieberman |
Music by | The Flat Nasty |
Production company | Re-Emerging Films |
Distributed by | Re-Emerging Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Bella! is a 2023 American documentary film by director Jeff L. Lieberman. It chronicles the political career of the American politician and activist Bella Abzug. [1] The film opened in select theatres in August 2023 and has continued to tour throughout 2024. The film features interviews with Barbra Streisand, Shirley MacLaine, Hillary Clinton, Lily Tomlin, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Maxine Waters, Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas, Charles Rangel, David Dinkins and Renée Taylor. [2]
Bella! was nominated for Best Documentary Screenplay by the 76th Writers Guild of America Awards [3] and was selected as one of two winners of The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film at an awards ceremony at The Library of Congress in October 2022. The award is a finishing grant designed to help filmmakers with completion funding. [4]
Bella! opened at New York's Village East Cinema on August 18, 2023, with a premiere that included Renée Taylor, Carolyn Maloney, Gale Brewer, Scott Stringer, David Belafonte, Allen Roskoff and Irene Natividad. NYC Mayor Eric Adams issued an official city proclamation calling August 18, 2023 "Bella Abzug Day", writing "I am pleased to join Harlem-based Re-Emerging Films for the world premiere of its new documentary film, Bella!, which explores the remarkable life and accomplishments of the late Bella Abzug, the trailblazing congress member from New York City." [5]
The film's first advance screening was at San Francisco's Castro Theatre with Nancy Pelosi in attendance. The film was the closing night film of The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. [6]
Bella!'s Canadian premiere was at the Park Theatre (Vancouver) on October 15, 2023. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim issued an official proclamation to mark the event, stating that Bella! "explores the remarkable life and accomplishments of the late Bella Abzug, the trailblazing activist, feminist, congress member, and global advocate for equality." [7]
The film's final song is a specially composed anthem for Bella! called "The Easy Way". It is written and composed by Mark W. Hornburg and Doug Jervey. It is performed by Ansley Stewart and The Flat Nasty. The song features lyrics that reflect Bella Abzug's own relentless determination: "I could feel defeated now / I could be broken-hearted / I could be finished long before I'd even started / But that would be too easy and I never take the easy way." [8] The song was one of 94 songs to qualify for the 2024 Academy Awards. [9]
Bella! holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews. [10] The Alliance of Women Film Journalists selected Bella! as their Movie of the Week, with critic Loren King calling it "Enlightening, passionate, nostalgic and endlessly riveting." [11] Film Critic, Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times wrote "Her never-say-die advocacy still inspires, but the film also illustrates the merciless challenges of electoral endurance even for the fiercest fighter." [12] On Larry Mantle's FilmWeek on 89.3 KPCC, Film Critic, Lael Lowenstein called Bella! "very well-researched and thoroughly engaging." [13]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film | October 18, 2022 | Best Documentary Film | Bella! | Won [a] | [14] |
Writers Guild of America Awards | April 14, 2024 | Best Documentary Screenplay | Jeff L. Lieberman | Nominated | [15] |
Alliance of Women Film Journalists | August 18, 2023 | Movie of The Week | Bella! | Won | [16] |
Teaneck International Film Festival | November 17, 2023 | 2023 Audience Award: Best Of Festival | Bella! | Won | [17] |
2023 Audience Award: Best Documentary | Bella! | Won | |||
San Diego International Jewish Film Festival | January 11, 2024 | Audience Award - Best Documentary Feature | Bella! | Won [b] | [18] |
Bella Abzug, nicknamed "Battling Bella", was an American lawyer, politician, social activist, and a leader in the women's movement. In 1971, Abzug joined other leading feminists such as Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, and Betty Friedan to found the National Women's Political Caucus. She was a leading figure in what came to be known as ecofeminism.
Nicholas Charles Sparks is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has published twenty-three novels, all New York Times bestsellers, and two works of nonfiction, with over 115 million copies sold worldwide in more than 50 languages. Among his works are The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle all of which, along with eight other books, have been adapted as feature films.
Damon Laurence Lindelof is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, and producer. Among his accolades, he received three Primetime Emmy Awards, from twelve nominations. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Laika, LLC is an American production company specializing in stop-motion animation and forthcoming live-action feature films, commercial content for all media, music videos, and short films. The studio is best known for its stop-motion feature films Corpse Bride, Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link. It is owned by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and is located in Hillsboro, Oregon, part of the Portland metropolitan area. Knight's son, Travis Knight, acts as Laika's president and CEO.
Azazel Jacobs is an American film director and screenwriter. He is the son of experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs. His short films include Kirk and Kerry (1997) and Message Machine (2002), and his features include well reviewed The GoodTimesKid (2005), Momma's Man (2008), Terri (2011), The Lovers (2017), French Exit (2020), and His Three Daughters (2023).
This Is Martin Bonner is a 2013 American drama film written and directed by Chad Hartigan. It stars Paul Eenhoorn in the title role, with Richmond Arquette, Sam Buchanan, Robert Longstreet, and Demetrius Grosse in supporting roles. It revolves around a middle-aged divorced man who leaves his old life behind and relocates to Reno, Nevada, where he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a recently released ex-convict.
Jeff L. Lieberman is a film director, screenwriter and producer of both narrative and documentary films. He is the founder of Re-Emerging Films and the filmmaker of Bella!, The Amazing Nina Simone, Re-Emerging: The Jews of Nigeria. Bella! was a joint winner of the 2022 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film.
Ramy is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on April 19, 2019, on Hulu. In May 2019, Hulu renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on May 29, 2020. The series stars Ramy Youssef as the titular character. In July 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a third season, which premiered on September 30, 2022.
The Glorias is a 2020 American biographical drama film directed and produced by Julie Taymor, from a screenplay by Taymor and Sarah Ruhl. The film is based upon My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem who is played by 4 actresses, representing her life in different ages. It stars Julianne Moore as Steinem, with Alicia Vikander portraying a younger Steinem, from ages 20 to 40, Lulu Wilson portraying a teenage Steinem, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Steinem when she was a child. The cast also includes Lorraine Toussaint, Janelle Monáe, and Bette Midler.
Flannery is a 2019 documentary film from Long Distance Productions about American novelist Flannery O'Connor.
How To with John Wilson is an American television comedy docuseries created by filmmaker John Wilson. The series, executive produced by Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman and Clark Reinking, was ordered by HBO. It premiered on October 23, 2020.
Abbott Elementary is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black public school in Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Becoming Cousteau is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus. It follows the life and career of Jacques Cousteau.
The Princess is a 2022 British documentary film about Diana, Princess of Wales, directed by Ed Perkins. The film is produced by Lightbox in association with Sky and HBO Documentary Films.
The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile is a 2022 American documentary film, directed and co-produced by Kathlyn Horan. It follows Tanya Tucker returning to the studio to record her first album in 10 years, While I'm Livin', collaborating with Brandi Carlile.
Lessons in Chemistry is an American historical drama miniseries developed by Lee Eisenberg, based on the novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus. It stars Brie Larson as chemist Elizabeth Zott who begins hosting her own feminist cooking show in 1960s America.
Divinity is a 2023 American science fiction film written and directed by Eddie Alcazar, and starring Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Jason Genao, Karrueche Tran, Michael O'Hearn, Emily Willis, Scott Bakula, and Bella Thorne. The film had its premiere at Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023 and was released theatrically in the United States on October 14, 2023.