Before they could read, she and her sister used rocks to write the few words they knew on the sidewalk in front of their house. Part of the American Masters series on PBS, the documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and opens in select theaters today.ĮARLY IN THE FILM, Morrison recounts an anecdote from childhood.
She’s candid, reflective, and incredibly funny. While insights from her peers bring welcome perspective, the participation of Morrison herself in the film is its greatest asset. The film offers a compelling portrait of the author, delving into her family background, formative years, critically acclaimed books, and groundbreaking career. “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” is directed by Morrison’s friend, the photographer Timothy-Greenfield Sanders. Photographs from Gordon Parks‘s Segregation series and paintings by Titus Kaphar ( “Behind the Myth of Benevolence,” 2014) and Kerry James Marshall ( “Past Times,” 1997), are also featured. Paintings from Lawrence’s Migration Series, for example, are incorporated when Morrison, 88, talks about the migration of her own family from the South to Ohio in the early 20th century. A current photograph of Morrison is the final image and basis of the artistic collage, enhanced with color, patterns, and a flower over one of her eyes.Īdditional works by Thomas and artists Rashid Johnson, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, Hank Willis Thomas, and Charles White, among others, appear throughout the documentary, illustrating certain aspects of Morrison’s story. The hands of a black woman, presumably Thomas, add the layered elements one-by-one. Beginning with an early photograph of the author at a young age, a handful of fragmented portraits of her through the years are placed one on top of the other, put together like large puzzle pieces. The poster graphic comes together through a process of building up Morrison’s image. A collage portrait by artist Mickalene Thomas depicts the Nobel Prize-winning author against a vivid fuchsia background.Ī live-action version of the portrait opens the film. THE POSTER PROMOTING a new documentary about Toni Morrison gives an indication of what’s to come in the film.
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