The Feedback: Arden Teresa Lewis' 'Leveling Lincoln'

At first glance, the story of the landmark 1961 desegregation case Taylor vs. Board of Education, which originated in New Rochelle, New York, might not seem like obvious material for a white, Los Angeles-based theater director-writer-actor to tackle for her feature doc debut. But then, Arden Teresa Lewis happens to be a native of New Rochelle — once dubbed the "Little Rock of the North” — and her childhood was shaped by a diverse community whose grassroots demand for change had led all the way to the US Supreme Court. And now with the help of film friends and family, including producer Kimberly Woods, another LA-based actress-turned-documentary producer; former New Rochelle students and parents (including Lewis’ own mom) who candidly share the ups and downs of being thrust into American history (not to mention the sharp gaze of giants like Justice Thurgood Marshall and journalist Mike Wallace); and the DocuClub LA audience that attended the virtual screening of Leveling Lincoln back in November 2021, the doc has reached another landmark stage: the US festival circuit. Which is why Documentary thought it the perfect time to check in with Lewis, fresh off final showings at the YoFi Fest in Yonkers, New York, to find out, among other things, how Leveling Lincoln has been playing from coast to coast (and in multiple locales in between).

To read my interview visit Documentary magazine.