When I Rise (2010)
74 min
A documentary about Barbara Smith Conrad, a gifted University of Texas music student who finds herself at the epicenter of racial controversy, struggling against the odds and ultimately ascending to the heights of international opera. A gifted black music student at the University of Texas is thrust into a civil rights storm that changes her life forever. Barbara Smith Conrad is cast in an opera opposite a white male classmate fueling a racist backlash from members of the Texas legislature. Barbara's expulsion from the cast escalates the incident to national news, prompting unexpected support from a pop superstar. This small-town girl, whose voice and spirit stem from her roots in East Texas, emerges as an internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano and headlines on stages worldwide.
- Release date
- March 14, 2010
- Country of origin
- Not yet available · likely United States (estimated from cast and crew)
Cast
- Harry Belafonte as Self
- Barbara Smith Conrad as Self
- Icy Simpson as Self
Crew
- Mat Hames · Director
- James Moll · Producer
- Michael T. Rosen · Producer
- David Hamburger · Composer
- Wilson Waggoner · Cinematographer
- Sandra Guardado · Editor
- Mat Hames · Editor