Strange Fruit (2002)

In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, Bronx-born high school teacher Abel Meeropol wrote a poem entitled "Strange Fruit" that begins with the words: "Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root." He set the poem to music and a few years later convinced Billy holiday to record it in a legendary heartbreaking performance. Intertwining jazz genealogy, biography, performance footage, and the history of lynching, director Joel Katz fashions a fascinating discovery of the lost story behind a true American classic. Written by Excerpted from Coolidge Corner Theatre Program Update

Released May 20, 2002 57 min 13+

Genres: Documentary, Music

Keywords: tmdb.southern-usa, tmdb.politics, tmdb.racial-segregation, tmdb.racism, tmdb.lynching, imdb.song-writer, imdb.political-song + 6 more, imdb.lynching, imdb.song, imdb.singer, imdb.racism, imdb.billie-holiday, aspectratio.1-37-1