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When We Were Kings
Dublin Core
Title
When We Were Kings
Subject
African-American, racism, masculinity, sports, documentary
Description
Video used for teaching race in documentary.
Source
Date
1996
Contributor
George Foreman
Muhammed Ali
Format
VHS
Language
English
Type
Documentary
Coverage
In 1974, Leon Gast traveled to Africa to film Zaïre 74, a music festival planned to accompany an unprecedented sports spectacle: the Rumble in the Jungle, in which late-career underdog Muhammad Ali would contend with the younger powerhouse George Foreman for the boxing heavyweight championship title—“a fight between two blacks in a black nation, organized by blacks,” as a Kinshasa billboard put it. When the main event was delayed, extending Ali’s stay in Africa, Gast wound up amassing a treasure trove of footage, observing the wildly charismatic athlete training for one of the toughest bouts of his career while basking in his role as black America’s proud ambassador to postcolonial Africa. Two decades in the making, When We Were Kings features interviews with Norman Mailer and George Plimpton that illustrate the sensational impact of the fight, rounding out an Academy Award–winning portrait of Ali that captures his charm, grace, and defiance. -Criterion Collection
Abstract
"A documentary of the 1974 heavyweight championship bout in Zaire, "The Rumble in the Jungle," between champion George Foreman and underdog challenger Muhammad Ali." (IMDB)
Extent
89 minutes
Moving Image Item Type Metadata
Duration
89 minutes
Producer
Leon Gast
David Sonenberg
Taylor Hackford
Director
Leon Gast
URL
https://pluto.tv/us/on-demand/movies/65e8fb1c16305f00134d724a?utm_medium=textsearch&utm_source=google
Player
https://brooklyn-cuny.yuja.com/V/Video?v=11719325&node=51535218&a=128387648
Files
Citation
“When We Were Kings,” VHS Activism Archive , accessed June 19, 2025, https://activismvhs.omeka.net/items/show/674.
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