Blood Brothers: the trailer for Netflix's new doco on Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali is here

WORDS Jasmine Pirovic PUBLISHED Tue, 24 Aug 2021 - 4:30 pm

At this point, it was never a question of if we wanted more films delving into the unique relationship between Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, but when we would receive them. Thankfully, the answer is now, or at least next month. Netflix has just released the trailer for Marcus A. Clarke’s documentary titled, Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali as we drift towards the films debut on September 9. A welcome addition to the slate of titles queued for release; after all, it's impossible to overstate just how fruitful their friendship and partnership was for the civil rights movement.

Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad will take cues from Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith's heavily researched and toiled over book of the same name, with both authors on board as writers for the doco. Under director Marcus A. Clarke's guidance, the film will trace the beginnings of the two luminaries fateful union, all the way to its eventual undoing three years later. Clarke chronicles Cassius Clay's transformation into Muhammad Ali, a symbol of Black excellence and pride, and all the political infighting and divergence of opinion that led to Malcolm X's assassination in February 1965.

To offer a fresh perspective, Clarke draws on exclusive unseen footage, as well as interviews from those closest to the pair in order to sketch the intimacy and intensity of their "student - teacher relationship". Already, in the trailer we glimpse moving snippets of family insights and scenes of the two delivering lectures calling for Black pride. We have full-body chills. Expect cameos from intellectual heavyweights, Cornel West and Al Sharpton, along with Malcom X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Ali's brother Rahman and his daughters Hana and Maryum.

Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali debuts on Netflix on September 9, until then, set your eyes upon the trailer below and witness the bowels of history be revealed.

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