STRANGE FRUIT

"Southern trees bear a strange fruit. . . black bodies swinging in the southern breeze." New York teacher and activist Abel Meerpol wrote the original words, but Billie Holiday made them famous. This powerful work traces the roots of "Strange Fruit" and shows the dynamic interplay between music and protest. More than a song history, the film exposes lynching in all its savagery, recalls the period when social activism was often equated with communism, and looks at hate crimes (Matthew Shephard, Amadou Diallo) that betray the lynch-mob mentality. Archival footage, stills, interviews, and renditions of "Strange Fruit" by multiple performers (Josh White, Pete Seeger, Abbey Lincoln, Cassandra Wilson) crown this evocative documentary from filmmaker Joel Katz. Note: stark scenes of lynching.

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