‘People’s History’ headed to movies
By Borys Kit
Feb 8, 2008
BERLIN — Historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States is being adapted into a feature documentary.
Called The People Speak, the documentary will feature dramatic readings and live musical performances from the likes of Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, David Strathairn, Marisa Tomei Jasmine Guy, John Legend, Q’Orianka Kilcher, Michael Ealy and Kerry Washington.
Four performances in Boston at Emerson’s Cutler Majestic Theater have already been shot and a planned spring shoot will have Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Eddie Vedder and Steve Earle, among others.
Damon, along with Dan Fireman, Ara Katz Art Spigel of Artfire Films, as well as Carolyn Mugar are producing. Zinn, Anthony Arnove and Chris Moore are exec producing. Damon has long been a fan of the book, throwing in a mention in his Good Will Hunting, as well as narrating the audiobook.
Cinetic Media is handling domestic sales while Cinema Management Group, headed by veteran international sales and distribution executive, Edward Noeltner, is overseeing worldwide rights, launching the project at Berlin.
The book, first published in 1980, presents American history through a bottoms up approach, focusing on voices seldom heard in history books such as defiant Indians, mutinous soldiers, striking workers, and rebellious women.