The new doc from Oscar-nominated “RBG” filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen has secured worldwide distribution. Variety confirms “My Name Is Pauli Murray” has been acquired by Amazon Studios. The documentary about the eponymous nonbinary activist and lawyer premiered at Sundance last month.
West and Cohen first learned about Pauli Murray when they were making their Ruth Bader Ginsburg doc, “RBG.” A true multi-hyphenate, Murray was the first Black person to earn a JSD from Yale Law School; her legal arguments were used in fights for school desegregation, women’s rights in the workplace, and civil rights protections for the LGBTQ+ community — not to mention made an impact on RBG’s work; and she was the first Black woman ordained as an Episcopal priest.
“Biographers and scholars familiar with Murray said she occupied a space on the gender spectrum far ahead of her time, adopting the neutral name Pauli over her given name, and openly sharing with friends and family her discomfort with the accepted binary,” the source notes.
Participant, Drexler Films, and Storyville Films produced “My Name Is Pauli Murray.” No word on a release date just yet.
“We’re incredibly honored to bring Pauli Murray’s inspiring story to light at such a timely point in American history,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “As a pioneer for race and gender equity, Pauli’s extraordinary achievements will surely strike a chord amongst our global audiences. In addition, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the gifted filmmaking duo of Betsy West and Julie Cohen to the Amazon family.”
“We are really excited by the prospect of people who know nothing or very little about Pauli Murray having their minds blown by this sometimes painful but deeply inspiring story. Of course there are also some who are Murray fans, and we hope they share in our joy at connecting others to this amazing American character,” West and Cohen told Women and Hollywood. “We also want audiences to walk away from the film thinking about how narrow our conception of American history can be and aspiring to broaden it.”
West is a 21-time Emmy Award-winner for her work as an ABC News producer and executive producer of the documentary series “Turning Point.” She has exec produced “Makers” documentary and digital series, short doc “The 4%: Film’s Gender Problem,” and feature doc “The Lavender Scare.” Cohen’s previous credits include “The Sturgeon Queens” and “Ndiphilela Ukucula: I Live to Sing.”
“RBG” was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar, and won Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmys. “Julia,” West and Cohen’s Julia Child doc, is expected to be released later this year by Sony Pictures Classics.
