WHEN I RISE
When I Rise is a feature-length documentary about Barbara Smith Conrad, a University of Texas music student who finds herself at the epicenter of racial controversy, struggling against the odds and ultimately ascending to the heights of international opera.
A gifted black music student at the University of Texas is thrust into a civil rights storm that changes her life forever. Barbara Smith Conrad is cast in an opera to co-star with a white male classmate, fueling a racist backlash from members of the Texas legislature. When Barbara is expelled from the cast, the incident escalates to national news, prompting unexpected support from a pop superstar.
This small-town girl, whose voice and spirit stem from her roots in East Texas, emerges as an internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano and headlines on stages around the world. When I Rise is an inspirational journey toward finding forgiveness within oneself.
THE DOLPH BRISCOE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTORY PRESENTS AN ALPHEUS MEDIA PRODUCTIONIN ASSOCIATION WITH ALLENTOWN PRODUCTIONS “WHEN I RISE” ORIGINAL MUSIC BY DAVID HAMBURGER
EDITED BY MAT HAMES SANDRA GUARDADO DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY WILSON WAGGONER
CO-PRODUCERS RAMONA KELLY ALISON BECK EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DON CARLETON
PRODUCED BY JAMES MOLL MICHAEL ROSEN DIRECTED BY MAT HAMES