Forest Whitaker, Usher and Crystal Fox star in new movie, “Burden”. In select theaters today, “Burden” is based on a true story of love…and hate…and redemption.
BURDEN: A STORY ABOUT REAL PEOPLE
It would take 2 decades to get this story told. But even though it was a winner of the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the directional debut of Andrew Heckler’s “Burden” was almost forgotten.
After it’s debut at Sundance, this film received a 5-minute standing ovation. Even so, it would take 2 more long years before it would find it’s way into theaters.
Statement of First Time Director Andrew Heckler on Debut Film “Burden”
“You can never turn an enemy into a friend through hate, you can only turn an enemy into a friend through love.”
“This is a real story about real people who had every reason not to do this, but they stuck through it, and the end is real love and real friendship and real understanding.” – Andrew Heckler
IMDb Storyline Description: When a museum celebrating the Ku Klux Klan opens in a South Carolina town, the idealistic Reverend Kennedy strives to keep the peace even as he urges the group’s Grand Dragon to disavow his racist past.
Watch the trailer below.
Among The Positive Reviews
This is a remarkable story of a man’s redemption and those who made it possible through courage and love. There are elements, including the name of the central character and an ironic twist that would seem like artifacts of a writer’s mind, but they were not–real people, the events that happened to them, and how they chose to respond to those events, provided a story that called out to be told.
As described on Wikipedia: The film follows Mike Burden, an orphan raised within the Ku Klux Klan who attempts to break away when the woman he falls in love with urges him to leave for a better life together. The Klan seeks Mike out for vengeance. A black Baptist church congregation led by Reverend Kennedy, agree to protect Mike, his girlfriend and her son.
CAST
- Garrett Hedlund as Mike Burden
- Forest Whitaker as Rev. David Kennedy
- Andrea Riseborough as Judy
- Usher Raymond as Clarence Brooks
- Tom Wilkinson as Tom Griffin
- Jason Davis
- Crystal Fox as Janice Kennedy
- Tess Harper as Hazel
- Austin Hebert as Clint
- Anna Colwell
- Tia Hendricks
- Dexter Darden
- Charles Green
- Jeff Pope
- Joshua Burge
- Neva Howell as Gina
- Dexter Darden as Kelvin Kennedy
- Tian Richards as Grant
- Melissa Youngblood as Marla
- The Sheltons as The New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church Choir
Written and Directed by Andrew Heckler, and produced by Robbie Brenner and Bill Kenright. “Burden” opens in select theaters, starting February 28th.
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