Marion Stokes began recording TV news around the time of the Iran-hostage crisis in 1979; for 30 years, she had 3 to 8 VCR’s going 24/7. Her personal story is equally unusual: An African-American of humble origins, she bravely, if foolishly, joined the Communist Party during the witch-hunt years, and then married a likeminded Philadelphia plutocrat, who enabled her to buy a half-dozen apartments that she filled with 40,000 odd books and newspapers—and 70,000 video cassettes. The tapes sampled in the film raise all sorts of fascinating questions, about the politics and ontology of TV news. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Directed by Matt Wolf; 2019; Courtesy of Kino Lorber; Documentary; USA; Cast: Marion Stokes, Michael Letelits. Runtime: 87 min.
Matt Wolf
Marion Stokes, Michael Letelits
Kino Lorber