Who is Marion Barry? The truth is that he's different things to different people. To some, he's a Civil Rights leader akin to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s successor. To others, he's the former coke-addict mayor. The many sides of Barry, good and bad, are explored in the documentary "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry," which is the closing film at this year’s SILVERDOCS festival at the AFI Silver Theatre.
The film is causing such buzz that it's been picked up by HBO and will premiere there Aug. 10 at 9 p.m.
Follow Barry from the beginnings of his life in the Mississippi cotton fields to his rise to power in one of the nation's most powerful cities. From addiction, cancer, divorces and jail time to dominance over DC politics for more than 40 years, Marion Barry has always found a way to land back on his feet.
Directors Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer are scheduled to attend, along with Marion Barry himself. There will also be a post-screening discussion with filmmakers and special guests: Civil Rights activist Lawrence Guyot and NBC4 News reporter Tom Sherwood, moderated by NPR news analyst Juan Williams.
The SILVERDOCS showing is this Saturday, June 20 at the AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD) at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.
