8- The Michigan Daily - Friday, February 6, 1998
'Amistad'
panel distinguishes film's fact from fiction
By Geordy Gantsoudes
Daily Arts Writer
"Amistad," the newest film by
acclaimed director Steven Spielberg,
tells the story of a slave revolt aboard the
Spanish ship, "La Amistad." Academics
discussed the accuracy of the informa-
tion that was used in the silver screen
production Wednesday in the Pendleton
Room in the Union.
Associate Provost for Academic and
Multicultural Affairs and Music Prof.
Lester Monts, Associate Director of
Academic and Multicutural Initiatives
Patrick Pieh, Graduate Student Research
Assistant at the Office of Academic and
Multicutural Initiatives Amhad Rahman,
and Afro-American and African Studies
Graduate Student Instructor Gail Drakes
led the lecture and discussion. The panel
came to the consensus that the numerous
liberties taken by the makers of the film
"took away" from those who lived
through what actually occurred.
Pieh began the discussion by retelling
the historical events that inspired the
film. A direct descendant of Joseph
Cinque (n6e Sengbe Pieh), the rebel-
lion's leader, Pieh had a great deal of
information to share about the revolt.
Unlike the movie's representation, the
effects of the Cinque's actions were not
just felt in the United States. The name
Pieh brings adoration in northeast
Africa, specifically Sierra Leone, home
of Cinque and Pich.
The panel frequently addressed the
role that white people played in the free-
dom of the slaves. Pieh read a quote by
the author of an article about the events,
Khalid Lum: "Freedom must be
achieved, not handed out." Pieh said that
even though the abolitionists fought the
good fight, they did not truly make their
presence known until the revolt.
Drakes continued on this theme, stat-
ing that American films featuring civil
rights battles include a "white hero" and
"the denial of black agency." She cited
specific films, such as "Mississippi
Burning,' a film that was supposed to be
about the triple homicide of civil rights
fighters but instead evolved into a story
about the relationship between the two
white FBI agents.
"Ghosts of Mississippi," a movie
about the bringing to justice of the mur-
derer of civil rights champion Medgar
Evers, also falls into this category. The
plot instead focuses on the internal strug-
gle of the white prosecuting attorney.
Rahman voiced his criticism of
EMILY NATHAN/Daily
Afro-American and African Studies Graduate Student instructor Gail Drakes took
part in a panel Wednesday on the truths and fallacies of the film "Amistad."
Spielberg's depiction of Tappan, the the first African mission society and two
leading abolitionist involved in the free- institutions of higher education, includ-
dom of the "Amistad" slaves. ing Howard University.
In a critical scene in the movie, Furthermore, Joadson did not exist in
Tappan (Stellan SkarsgArd) says to real life; he was a compilation of several
Joadson (Morgan Freeman) that may abolitionists. This is another dramatic
better serve their cause if the slaves lost element panelists said was unnecessary.
the trial and were sent to Cuba and exe- There were many prominent black aboli-
cuted. Rahman said this is a false char- tionists who could have been used
acterization of a good man - a man instead of the fictional black abolitionist
who was responsible for the founding of Joadson, Rahman said.
'Sergei' reflects Gordeeva's Olympic
triumph, heartbreaking personal loss
By Anna Kovalszkl
Daily Arts Writer
With the opening of the 1998
Winter Olympics of Nagano today, TV
stations are pulling out all the stops to
catch viewers and get them into the
mpod in time for the festivities.
Representatives from nations all
over the world are hoping to do their
countrymen proud in Nagano, while
the rest of the world will be watching
the Olympics at home.
CBS offers primary coverage of the
winter games. Wednesday night, the
network broadcast a sports special
about the love story of two-time pairs
skating Olympic gold medalists
Ekaterina Gordeeva and her late hus-
band, Sergei Grinkov.
Yes, this was primarily a love story,
bit it also included many of their past
memorable performances.
Through Ekaterina's remem-
brances, and based on her autobiogra-
phy, "My Sergei," we see the two
skater's lives from their births to their
initial skating partnership, and then
through their blossoming friendship,
successes and finally love.
Many aspects of the documentary-
like story were wonderfully shown.
The interviews, with fellow skaters,
such as Kristi Yamaguchi, Victor
Petrenko and Paul Wylie often inter-
pretations of their Russian friends'
lives. The segments of and sometimes
full-length skating programs and com-
petitions allowed us to see the growth
of the skaters, both physically and
artistically. Photographs with narrated
My Sergei
CBS
Feb. 4, 8 p m.
descriptions and
real footage of
the skaters
showed the harsh
reality, glamour
and everyday
happenings of
their world.
One device
used that only
contributed a
shallow, some-
what cheesy
atmosphere -
She sometimes stumbles with her
grammar, or her emotions.
She tells the story of her 26-year-
old life. Professionally, she has
already won Russian, European and
world championships and two
Olympic medals. She won the first
Olympic medal when she was just 16.
On the personal side, she has been
married and widowed, has a daughter,
wrote a book and is now a solo skater.
"My Sergei," which became num-
ber one on The New York Times.-best-
seller list, is a memoir written for
Gordeeva's daughter in remembrance
of her partner and husband. She want-
ed Daria to know of her father and
wrote the book soon after his death,
"before his lovely echo fades, as it
inevitably will, with time ..."
As we anxiously await the show-
downs between Tara Lipinski and
Michelle Kwan, Todd Eldredge and
Elvis Stojko, Jenni Meno and Todd
Sand and other pairs skaters, the CBS
special awarded us the opportunity to
get warmed up by watching the skat-
ing world's earlier success stories.
Although their time together ended
too soon, Gordeeva and Grinkov's
story was retold honestly and with a
charm rarely seen these days.
the re-enactment
of small scenes from Ekaterina's and
Sergei's lives.
The actors are shown in haze, obvi-
ously not the actual skaters. The
dramatizations were not necessary to
make the story poignant; that was
achieved solely by Ekaterina's simple
narrative.
She speaks a soft, accented English.
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The University of Michigan
School of Music
f l
Friday, February 6 - Sunday, February 8
University Dance Company
The Choreography of Geography
Power Center, 8p.m. (Friday & Saturday), 2 p.m. (Sunday)
Admission $18, $14; for more information phone 734-764-0450
Friday, February 6
Guest Master Class
Dale Warland, choral conductor
Britton Recital Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 11 a.m.
Guest Recital
Darryl Taylor, tenor, presents African American song literature
Britton Recital Hall, E.V. Moore Bldg., 8 p.m.
Opera Workshop
A presentation of staged art song
McIntosh Theatre, E. V. Moore Bldg., 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 7
Contemporary Directions Ensemble
Kevin Sedatole, music director
Music by UM composers--
" Andrew Mead: Fantasy, a quartet
" Evan Chambers: Deep Flowers
" Erik Santos: Guernica Dances
" Stephen Rush: Sextet
" James Aikman: Fantasy for Violin and Electro-
acoustic Tape
" Michael Daugherty: Dead Elvis
Rackham Lecture Hall, 8 p.m.
Monday, February 9
Composers Forum
Britton Recital Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 8 p.m.
Tuesday, February 10
University Philharmonia Orchestra
Pier Calabria, conductor
" Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 "Scottish"
" Bizet: L'Arlesienne Suites Nos. I and 2
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, February 11
Guest Master Class
casts from Norway, with a record
and a 42 audience share.
There were very obvious reason
ing on the Nancy Kerrigan-Tony
opera that played out in the weeks I
and coming to a denouement durin
time, the whole story should be o
RESUMES and aired in prime time, the better
20Stock.85xIis expected to be 58 percent femal
Because of the 14-hour time di
wil be shown live, including a
women's Alpine skiing, starting
pelling me's downhill on Saturda3
Japan, it's 8 p.m, the previous nigi
CANOE! obviously all skiing competition i
COLOR LASER day to assure the best snow condit
NoEd"tng,8.5X 1I There also is expected to be intr
tion, with the NHL suspending its
to allow its best players to compe
tries. No Olympic event, sUmtnl
match the United States vs. the
Placid. N.Y, in 1980 in a sem
C PY NAmericans won their "Miracle or
611 ChUrch Street NHL officials are clearly hoping
THE CHOREOGRAPHY
Must-Ski TV: Olympic events you need to watch this weekend,
OF GEOGRAPHY
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