SXSW Film

Sing Your Song

Sing Your Song is the rare documentary that succeeds in combining a robust biographical portrait with a substantive cultural overview. That's because its subject, Harry Belafonte, who was 83 at the time of the filming, has played such a large part in the history of the 20th century. Belafonte's social activism should prove eye-opening to those who may regard him as a relic of another era or simply a gorgeous young calypso singer who performed "Day-O" while wearing a shirt unbuttoned down to his pupik. But in addition to winning a Tony Award and selling a phenomenal number of records, Belafonte was – and still remains – a leader in the struggles against racism and injustice. Belafonte has been blacklisted, worked with Martin Luther King, helped organize the all-star "We Are the World" recording, fought apartheid, participated in the anti-war movement – and that barely scratches the surface of his offstage activities. Belafonte's moral fiber proves just as handsome as his beautiful surface.

Thursday, March 17, 4:30pm, Paramount