The Invaders, the civil rights documentary about Memphis’s 1960s militant Black Power group – which originally premiered at the 2015 DOC NYC Film Festival and was an official selection at the 2015 Indie Memphis Film Festival – has been released digitally and is now available for streaming.
Since its festival debut in 2015, the film has not been released anywhere, digitally or otherwise. 1091 Pictures is making the landmark documentary available for streaming and downloads starting next week.
The Invaders follows the rise and fall of a militant Black Power group based here in Memphis in the late 1960s. Inspired by militant Black leaders like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael, a new, radicalized generation of civil rights activists made up of young college students, Vietnam vets, musicians, and intellectuals emerged in Memphis in 1967.
Director Prichard Smith uncovers the history and significance of the often-overlooked group, detailing their creation to their surprising behind-the-scenes involvement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the pivotal days leading up to his assassination, and to their final negotiations with Dr. King minutes before his murder on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The documentary offers a powerful, overdue, in-depth portrait of a group that has occupied the shadows of local civil rights history, and touches on themes of race, government surveillance and economic injustice. Narrated by Nas, The Invaders features new interviews with some of the organization’s key members, including Coby Smith, Charles Cabbage, John B. Smith, and John Gary Williams.
The film had its world premiere at DOC NYC, and was an official selection at the Indie Memphis Film Festival. The Invaders is directed by Prichard Smith, and Executive Produced by Nas, Yo Gotti, Craig Brewer, Peter Bittenbender, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sacha Jenkins.
The Invaders Official Trailer:
For streaming links, visit here.