Academy Award-winning director Freida Lee Mock relished Tony Kushner after one minute. It was the 60-second speech at a college graduation that roused the "Wrestling With Angels" mastermind to write, direct and produce a documentary about the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright ("Angels in America," "Munich").
"His speech was hilarious and serious, highly political, a tour de force that surprised and inspired us about the possibilities of a better world," Mock said in a statement. "In the four years of directing this film about Tony as an artist and activist, I find this typical of his impact on audiences."
"Wrestling With Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner" shares the story of a creative spirit at work and Southern-raised Kushner's eagerness to become an outspoken activist, a compassionate spokesperson for outsiders and one of America's most important playwrights.
At its core "Wrestling With Angels" explores the mystery of creativity, its sources and Kushner's compelling plays that are set against the moral and political concerns of our times.
"Wrestling With Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner," 8 p.m. April 30 (United Artists Commerce Township Stadium 14 Theatres), May 8 (The Flint Institute of Arts), May 9 (The Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor). The screening will be part of the Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival and the April 30 screening will benefit the Jewish Gay Network. For more information, visit www.djff.org.
– Chris Azzopardi
