When someone has lived a life as impactful as Sidney Poitier, their story must be told to the world. Oprah Winfrey chose to do just that in a new documentary detailing her friend and mentor’s legacy.
Per a press release provided to The Root, Sidney is set to premiere on AppleTV+ and in select theaters on Friday, Sept. 23. Presumably, its theatrical run is so the film can be awards eligible.
The trailer highlights how the To Sir, with Love actor came from humble beginnings in the Bahamas. He didn’t know about electricity or indoor plumbing. Surrounded by strong Black figures, he didn’t realize his race would become so important. Of course that changed when the Oscar-winner moved to the U.S.
“I left the Bahamas with this sense of myself, but from the time I got off the boat, America began to say to me, ‘You’re not who you think you are,’” Poitier says in the film.
The clip also explores how the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner star didn’t allow himself to play servant roles. While that sounds simple now, there was no such thing as a Black leading man until Sidney Poitier came along.
“There was a habit in Hollywood of utilizing Blacks in the most disrespectful ways,” he explains. “I said ‘I cannot play that.’”
Winfrey produced the film alongside the Poitier family, with renowned director Reginald Hudlin helming the doc. In addition to Oprah, there are interviews with Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Lenny Kravitz and Spike Lee.
This is so much more than the usual documentary examining the life of a legendary star. This is clearly a love letter to a man who changed lives through his art and activism. Sidney Poitier could have easily enjoyed his success and never bothered to advocate for the rest of the community, but that wasn’t him. He spent years lifting others up, so now those friends and colleagues are repaying his grace by lifting up his legacy.
Sidney premieres on AppleTV+ Friday, Sept. 23.