Thursday, February 4 at 7:00 PM
Screening at Capri Theater • 2027 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Conversation Leader: Director Sam Pollard
ABOUT THE FILM
In the heart of Memphis, Walter and Loree Bailey’s Lorraine Motel was both a thriving hub of Black entrepreneurship and a destination for the greatest musicians of the 20th century—a place where Civil Rights demonstrations were planned, musical hits were written, and Black and white artists created history together. A rare, black-owned establishment, The Lorraine served as a safe haven and sanctuary for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. Then, on April 4, 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. outside Room 306 cleaved that history in two, and the world forgot everything else.
Urgent yet deeply joyful, The Lorraine is both a reckoning with the Civil Rights Movement’s unfinished legacy and a celebration of Black excellence and resilience. Renowned documentarian Sam Pollard uses archival footage and music along with the voices of those who lived it to vividly revive what was lost. The film ultimately becomes a story of reclamation: of people, space, history, and identity. Of transforming trauma into light.
The Lorraine reminds us that history is never as neatly resolved as we’re taught to believe, and that the fight for justice is still very much evolving.
FIRST THURSDAY FILMS AT THE CAPRI
First Thursday Films brings generations and cultures together to experience brilliant movies the way they were meant to be seen, followed by vibrant, post-credit discussions led by knowledgeable moderators. It is more than just a movie night on West Broadway; it is a welcoming space for sharp cinematic debate, rich culture, and real community dialogue. Programmed in partnership with The Capri with support from the Minnesota Historical Society.