Available June 19-July 2, 2020
Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples, U.S.A., 2020, 103 mins.
Contact:
Charles Coleman
Film Program Director
charles@facets.org
773.281.9075
Friday, June 19, 2020: Chicago – The Facets Virtual Cinema will screen the film Miss Juneteenth (2020), from June 19 to July 2. The film is presented in English; was produced in the U.S.A.; and has a runtime of 103 minutes. Pre-orders are available now at www.facets.org/cinematheque/. 50% of all ticket purchases go to Facets in support of the organization during the closure.
Turquoise Jones is a single mom who holds down a household, a rebellious teenager, and pretty much everything that goes down at Wayman’s BBQ & Lounge. Turquoise is also a bona fide beauty queen, since she was once crowned Miss Juneteenth, a title commemorating the day slavery was abolished in Texas. However, life did not turn out as beautifully as the title promised, but Turquoise—determined to right her wrongs—is refining her daughter, Kai, to become Miss Juneteenth, even if Kai wants something else.
Miss Juneteenth is a poignant journey of a determined woman who takes on the burden of representing history, and generations of black women, while standing tall despite her own shortcomings as she marches toward self-realization. This remarkable film features undeniable performance by Nicole Beharie as Turquoise, a woman radiating elegance as she strives to survive while finding ways to succeed.
Praising the lead performances, Rolling Stone says “Behari and Chikaeze work together beautifully to show a mother-daughter bond that still allows each woman her self-determination” with “a subtlety that’s very true to life,” according to AV Club.
