Honorable
It is often said that along the journey of life from tragedy comes triumph. And the trials that we face in life constitute a body of experiences toward our ultimate good. Filmmaker Mia Bible and her film Honorable, along with a personal tragedy which helped to inspire its creation, take us on that journey. Bible and her fellow cast combine their individual talents to re-tell the story of an actual event between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X Shabazz. An event that led to a broken friendship. Zachary Scott Clark, who portrays Ali, says the film’s creation is a testament to the question, “If your second chance was your first, what would you do with it?” A story that reimagines an opportunity of reconciliation and what they did with that opportunity.
Luckily for audiences the rebirth of this second chance is delivered in Honorable and Bible’s driving force to tell a black story from the perspective of black creatives. The opportunity to play a historical figure came with the added benefit of growth and inspiration for one cast member. Jason J. Little, who portrays Malcolm X, describes how during a formative period of his life, studying Malcolm gave him a stronger sense of seeking independence. Little also punctuates the significance of the film by stressing the need to give a voice to our ancestors who are still here and trying to tell us something through their life’s work. A voice that was quieted by Muhammad Ali’s Parkinson’s disease and Malcolm X’s assassination. Associate Producer Erica R. Walker speaks of the importance of forgiveness which inspires the question, “Will these two civil rights icons reconcile a forbidden brotherhood before it’s too late?”
Learn more about the film here.
“If your second chance was your first, what would you do with it?”
