A dazzling star of stage and screen and member of the legendary Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr. fought to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting political tides. Director Sam Pollard (Two Trains Runnin’, Mr. SOUL!) captures the entertainer’s phenomenal talent but pays close attention to the complex times he lived through—and the considerable challenges he overcame along the way. The first major documentary to explore Davis’s life and art, I’ve Gotta Be Me is chock-full of excerpts from his television, film and concert performances that will leave you awestruck.
Skype Q&A with film subject Michael Dinwiddie, Cultural Studies professor at New York University.