By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump has been at the center of numerous key social justice cases, most notably George Floyd. Now he will be the subject of an ambitious new documentary series that will be released next month on Netflix. “Civil” is a biographical documentary that is directed by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren. It is being produced by the prolific Kenya Barrister, whose multiple creations for television and film include the just concluded series”Black-ish.” Hallgren’s most recent production was the Michelle Obama documentary “Becoming.”
Others involved with this project include executive producers Erynn Sampson, Matthew Carnahan and Geoff Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams is also a producer alongside Lauren Cioffi and Hallgren. The film is slated to open this year’s American Black Film Festival. The Festival is back in hybrid form, offering both in-person and virtual programming.
Netflix will debut it on the service June 19. That will tie in with various national celebrations of Juneteenth. The film will not only spotlight Crump’s life, but look at his role in several key cases, not only George Floyd but Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and others.
Netflix describes the film as “an intimate verite,” a project that looks into the life of the famed attorney.