Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

2023

Action / Documentary

3
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 87% · 32 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 87% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.7/10 10 737 737

Plot summary

Intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary queer poet Nikki Giovanni as she reflects on her life and legacy.

Director

Joe Brewster Photo
Joe Brewster

Top cast

Taraji P. Henson Photo
Taraji P. Henson as Self - Reading Giovanni's Poems
Jesse Jackson Photo
Jesse Jackson as Self
John F. Kennedy Photo
John F. Kennedy as Se;f
Harry Belafonte Photo
Harry Belafonte as Self
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
933.97 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds 1
1.87 GB
1920*1080
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 41 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by brentsbulletinboard 6 / 10

Ambitious But Unfocused

Celebrating the life of a towering figure can be a challenge to get right, and that's precisely where this profile of poet, advocate and educator Nikki Giovanni comes up short. Writer-directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson earnestly but regrettably struggle to capture the nature and character of this African-American icon of literature and activism, whose 60+-year career has borne witness to the wide-ranging history of the nation's social and cultural movements during that time. Giovanni's take on these subjects has nearly always been radical and unreserved, with criticisms and commentary unapologetically leveled against the initiatives of both the right and the left when she felt the need to express them, frequently making her a lightning rod for attention from opponents on both ends of the spectrum. At the same time, though, she has always made her views known with an eloquently poetic touch, making it difficult for naysayers to find fault with her incisive, spot-on observations. By all rights, this is a life that would seem to provide the makings for an intriguing biography, but, unfortunately, that outcome doesn't materialize as effectively as it might have. The problem rests with the organization of the material included in the film, which at times seems quite scattered, particularly in the unfocused opening half. To its credit, this offering develops a greater sense of lucidity the further one gets into the narrative, but it's too bad that it doesn't live up to this potential throughout. Had it done so, this would have been one of the better documentaries of 2023, but, as it stands now, "Going to Mars" leaves audiences with a somewhat frayed portrayal of its subject, at least at the outset. Reading her works, in the end, may ultimately offer viewers a clearer and more complete picture of its principal, someone whose outspoken outlooks truly deserve to be better known at such a critical time in our nation's history.
Reviewed by hellenharvey 10 / 10

A most wonderful poet

An inspirational look at poet Nikki Giovanni who has lived a life and has a great ability to connect with her poetry over many years. It is fascinating to hear her being interviewed by James Baldwin. Beautiful voiceovers of Nikki reciting her poems with accompanying images. Poignant and yet very real and unapologetic in her thoughts and opinions : "travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America's greatest living artists and social commentators. Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time in intimate vérité and revealing archival footage." Rotten Tomatoes.
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