/24-7PressRelease/ - LOS ANGELES, CA, January 28, 2008 - Prince Among Slaves, a 2007 winner of the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award, will premiere on PBS February 4, 2008 at 10:00 PM (check local listings). The film is produced by Unity Productions Foundation (www.upf.tv) and directed by Andrea Kalin and Emmy Award-winner, Bill Duke. The CINE Golden Eagle awards, distinguishing excellence in professional, independent and student works, are recognized internationally as symbols of the highest production standards in filmmaking and videography.
Winner of the Best Documentary at the 2007 American Black Film Festival, this true story is artfully narrated by actor and hip-hop Mos Def, Prince Among Slaves is based on Dr. Terry Alford's biography of the same name and tells the compelling true story of Abdul-Rahman, an African Muslim Prince who was captured in 1788 and sold into slavery in the American South. He remained enslaved for 40 years before finally regaining his freedom under dramatic circumstances, becoming one of the most famous men of his day, and returning back to Africa with his royal status acknowledged.
"Abdul-Rahman survived the harsh ordeals of slavery through his love of family and his deep abiding faith," says Co-Executive Producer Michael Wolfe. "The film depicts a universal story of perseverance and hope. Abdul endured unimaginable indignities and faced immeasurable odds, yet managed to survive his long fall from royalty with character and integrity intact."
"I was immediately attracted to this story because of its powerful message," re-enactment director and supervisory producer Bill Duke says. "Too many people continue to be enslaved by poverty, drugs, and bad decisions. But like Abdul-Rahman, they can come out of it, and regain their dignity and respect."
The film contains insight from a distinguished and diverse group of experts such as Terry Alford, whose historical biography inspired the film; best selling journalist and popular historian, Adam Hochschild; K. Anthony Appiah, professor of philosophy at Princeton University; the late novelist, Bebe Moore Campbell; Sylviane A. Diouf, renowned scholar and author; Michael Gomez, Professor of History at NYU; historian, David S. Dreyer; Artemus Gaye, living descendant of Abdul-Rahman; and Hamza Yusuf Hanson and Zaid Shakir, Islamic scholars at the Zaytuna Institute.
The documentary film is supported by a comprehensive Web site princeamongslaves.tv that includes in-depth information about the life of Abdul-Rahman and details about local film screenings happening across the United States in advance of the PBS broadcast premiere. The Web site, which launched earlier this fall highlights special behind-the-scenes interviews with narrator, Mos Def and reenactment director, Bill Duke. The site will also feature profiles on prominent individuals who played a role in the developments throughout Abdul-Rahman's life, backgrounds on the actors and executives involved with the production, and special introductory clips about the film.
Prince Among Slaves is a production of Unity Productions Foundation (UPF) in association with Spark Media, Inc. and Duke Media. Major funding for the film was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The film was executive produced by UPF's Michael Wolfe and Alex Kronemer. It was produced, directed and written by Andrea Kalin co-produced by Raki Jones.
About Unity Productions Foundation
Unity Productions Foundation (UPF) is a non-profit educational foundation working to promote peace and understanding through the media. Its mission is to create documentaries, feature films and educational products that contribute to ending the clash of civilizations. UPF's first project, Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, aired nationally on PBS on December 18, 2002 and was awarded a 2004 Cine Award for Best Professional Documentary in its category. Its recent Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain has won several awards, including Best Documentary at the 2007 ITVA Peer awards and Goldie Awards.
About PBS
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches more than 75 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (www.pbskids.org), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at http://www.pbs.org one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
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