"Emmett Till": a mother's struggle in 1950s America

Europe1 .fr 10:00 a.m., February 08, 2023

A young widow raising her 14-year-old son alone, Mamie Till-Mobley is the only black woman working for the US Air Force in Chicago.

When her son Emmett is murdered for allegedly whistling a white woman in Mississippi in 1955, Grandma shakes up consciences by insisting, during the funeral, that her son's casket remain open and that public opinion understands the horror he suffered.

A strong gesture to refuse oppression and hatred.

She also gives Jet magazine the exclusive rights to publish photos of her mutilated son, so that the whole world is moved by this particularly atrocious lynching.

With courage, Mamie Till became involved in the civil rights movement and became an active activist for the NAACP, the main organization for the defense of African-Americans, demanding more social justice and access to education for the black community.

>>> A journey of resilience and courage

The director of the film is Chinonye Chukwu to whom we owe "Clemency" which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival in 2019 and was acclaimed by critics.

"When I was contacted to write and direct a film on Emmett Till, I was attracted by a singular figure at the heart of his universe", explains the director.

"I saw the possibility of thwarting expectations and approaching the story from another angle: by adopting the maternal point of view of Mamie Till-Mobley. Without Mamie, her son's journey would have vanished. She was instrumental in shaping a modern civil rights movement that established an extraordinary framework for future activists and freedom fighters.

Grandma's little-known story traces a journey of resilience and courage in the face of adversity and devastating, unspeakable tragedy.

"For me, the possibility of becoming attached to Grandma, a multifaceted black woman, and exploring this particular chapter of her life was a challenge that I accepted with deep respect and a great sense of responsibility" , says Chinonye Chukwu.

"In her daily life, Mamie fought against racism, sexism, misogyny, which only increased after Emmett's murder. Mamie did not withdraw into herself. On the contrary, she became a fierce fighter for justice, which allowed me to understand and enrich my own journey as an activist. As a director, showing Mamie in all her humanity, in all her complexity,

>>> The indestructible bond between a mother and her son

Early in her fight for social justice, Grandma Elizabeth Till-Mobley said, "God said to me 'I took one of yours but I'll give you back thousands.' of me in each of the children I have touched".

The film takes the perspective of a mother who does not give up in the face of racism and bullying tactics and who fought for more justice for her son.

Mamie allowed Jet magazine and other newspapers to publish the harrowing photos of the open-casket burial which thus became a galvanizing moment for the civil rights movement.

The makers of the film sought to evoke the relationship between a son and his mother and her extraordinary journey not only to demand justice for the lynching of her child by white supremacists in Mississippi in the 1950s, but also to make so that it is not forgotten.

Horrified by the mutilation of her son's body, Grandma made the stunning decision to let more than 50,000 people view Emmett's body in Chicago: many of them fainted from the sight and the smell, while others left in tears.

During a stirring speech in Montgomery, Alabama, months after Emmett's funeral, Martin Luther King Jr. said, "[What happened] is one of the most atrocious crimes and the most inhuman of the 20th century”.

>>> An exceptional cast

The director of the film wanted to have expressive actors without them having to say a word.

"For Mamie, I wanted an actress who had enough charisma and magnetism that the viewer would be glued to their seat and want to watch her for two hours," says Chinonye Chukwu.

"Danielle Deadwyler is a star and she was cut out for this role. She is one of the most talented actresses I have worked with and have ever seen. I did not know her work at the time of the casting. We considered a lot of actresses and after two months we watched a video of Danielle Deadwyler's audition. And I was immediately captivated because her audition made me feel a lot of different feelings".

Chinonye Chukwu was blown away by the actress' investment in her role.

“On the set, we were speechless… From the first take, I was captivated. There were quite a few moments like that of Grandma's testimony where we were dumbfounded” adds the director.

"I think all of Danielle's partners, like the technicians, were fascinated by her shots. She was given a standing ovation after the testimonial scene. I was amazed by the sequence of her scenes, each more extraordinary than the next" .

Alma, Mamie's mother, is played by Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, who is also the film's producer.

Whoopi Goldberg had been developing the project for over twenty years and even considered playing Granny.

Then, the years passed and when the project took shape, she was given the role of Alma.

"Whoopi Goldberg is an exceptional actress. She was not supposed to play Alma at the start", continues the director.

"We offered her the role and she replied, 'It's a privilege to be considered for the role.' "It was wonderful to film these two women of crazy energy".

"Emmett Till" is currently in theaters, in partnership with Europe 1.