Last Saturday, Till premiered at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverley Hills. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg.
In attendance was director Chinonye Chukwu as well as writers Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp, and Danielle Deadwyler (Mamie Till-Mobley) and Jalyn Hall (Emmett Till). Also in attendance was Deborah Watts (cousin of Emmett Till and co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation) as well as special honored guest Myrlie Evers-Williams (Civil Rights activist and wife of Medgar Evers).
Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world.
The film features incredible direction as well as heartfelt writing from both Cinonye Chukwu and Michael Reilly. To be completely honest, the film is so well done I wouldn’t be surprised to see it score a few Oscar nominations. Throughout the entire film it’s clear that everyone really cared about the subject at hand, from the production to the costumes.
We had the opportunity to talk to Chinonye Chukwu (Director) as well as writer Michael Reilly (Writer/Producer). Check out the exclusive interviews below:
The Knockturnal: So as director, how did you come across the script? Was this something you’ve always wanted to do?
Chinonye Chukwu: The producers approached me three years ago and asked if I would be interested and if I were interested how would I want to tell the story. At first I was really reluctant because they approached me right after my last film which was an intense journey within itself. So I knew the only way I would want to tell this story if it was about Mamie and her journey and through Mamie’s emotional point of view. And the producers immediately got excited and signed on to that and that’s what they wanted as well.
The Knockturnal: Were there any challenges you were forced to overcome while directing or did everything turn out they way you imagined?
Chinonye Chukwu: I mean, filmmaking is about problem solving so a million things, a million problems happen every day there just a number of challenges like: you never have an update, you never have enough money, you never have — so you just figure it out! But we were also hyper-focused on the mission, and the larger purpose to honor Mamie and her legacy.
The Knockturnal: Is there anything specifically you want the audience to take away from the film?
Chinonye Chukwu: There’s so much, I hope people learn about Mamie, about all the different people who were apart of her community, a part of the story. I hope people can see the humanities of them all and how people can be really pushed to ask themselves how can they be a change agent in the world in their own way because we’re all connected, you know? And I hope people can draw the connections between the past and the present because history just continues to repeat itself.
The Knockturnal: Do you have any advice for up and coming filmmakers who might be struggling?
Chinonye Chukwu: [laughs] It’s hard as hell! And I mean… most people won’t make it, it is what it is. Keep pushing because you might, right? Keep pushing, be willing to sacrifice and invest in yourself. There were times were I had to sleep on my best friend’s couch because it was either pay for film stock or have a meal and I chose film stock; film stock always won. You just gotta keep pushing and focusing on the craft, detach from the ego of filmmaking, and detach from the outcome.
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The Knockturnal: How did you come across this project? Was this something you’ve been wanting to write for a long time?
Michael Reilly: I left the film business in 2014. I thought to myself “I can’t hack it anymore.” I was taking coding classes… and that was around the time Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Atlantic Series “The Case for Reparations” came out, and I read it. And it just got inside me like an itch. I knew Fred Zollo from producing with him before and I knew Keith [Beauchamp] because he’d always been conspiring to make a “Till” film so I thought to myself ‘I’m gonna ask those guys what they’re up to.” And that is the Genesis of the story.
The Knockturnal: How different would you say the final film turned out from the original concept? Were there a lot of changes?
Michael Reilly: I don’t think that’s a simple questions because it’s an elaborate process and at every level you have to be open to the next person’s voice from a screenwriter to a revision to a director to a cast, to a cinematographer and of course the editor. So it transforms. As a writer I’m really pleased to see the intention’s there, the characterization of Mrs. Bradley, is consistent to what we thought would be most representative of her.
The Knockturnal: Do you have any advice for any young filmmakers who want to maybe adapt a story or even create a story of their own?
Michael Reilly: There’s no advice because no one does it the same way. But people get it done and that should be inspiring enough. What I can say is Keith, Fred, and I sat down in 2015 and started outlining this version of this movie. But before that they did other work and tried to make it another way… it’s just about being stubborn.
See TILL In Select Theaters on 10/14, Everywhere 10/28