News / Marvin Rees
Marvin: The Movie
EXT. – NIGHT
With the gait of a boxer entering the ring, Marvin Rees, wearing a grey hoodie, hands in both pockets, face obscured by his hood, walks towards the camera on Stapleton Road, illuminated only by the lights from the shopfronts.
The inspirational story of Bristol’s mayor has already hit national and international headlines.
And Marvin Johnathan Rees could soon be hitting the silver screen, with two filmmakers crowdfunding to make a feature length documentary, The Mayor’s Race.
The film began as an unreleased documentary, After The Dream, following Rees’ failed attempt to win the 2012 mayoral election.
is needed now More than ever
Repackaged after his victory to the top job in 2016, The Mayor’s Race asks: “Marvin Rees wants to run for mayor. Does it matter that he’s black or from the ‘wrong’ side of town?”
“The journey into politics hits him with rejection, failure and an inner struggle that eventually leads to the biggest challenge of his life,” continues the crowdfunding blurb.
“The Mayor’s Race is about the desire to overcome doubt and the boundaries between social background and power.”
Rocky Marvin making his mark on Mina Road
The two filmmakers behind the project are documentary maker Loraine Blumenthal and creative media producer Rob Mitchell.
The pair met while working on a community project inspired by the Bristol bus boycott story.
After discussing the idea of making a film, they agreed that the 1963 story could be brought up to date if they centred it on Rees – whose father arrived in the UK from Jamaica as a 12-year-old – who is thinking of running for mayor one generation later.
“I have always been very interested in the black power movement in the United States,” said Blumenthal.
“To find out that something similar was going on in the UK came as a surprise to me.
“I was excited to find out about the remarkable achievements of Paul Stephenson and a group of black activists who led the civil rights movement in Bristol.
“Then I found out about Marvin Rees’ ambition to shape this city, through politics and I knew this needed to become a documentary film.”
Marvin the man becomes Marvin the mayor
The Mayor’s Race has one month to raise $15,000, with the money raised helping to complete the film and get it distributed.
Rewards for funders include a thank you in the film’s credits, a Skype chat with Rees himself and an invitation to the premiere, currently estimated to take place in February 2018.
For more information and to donate, visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-mayor-s-race-documentary-film-diversity#/
Read more: Who is mayor Marvin?
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