*Mahershala Ali’s first film, “Taste the Revolution”, was made 25 years ago but never saw a formal release. Directed by Daniel Klein, the film had limited screenings at a small regional festival in 2000.
Now, nearly 25 years later, “Taste the Revolution” is finally getting its moment. A new version of the film, created from hours of original footage, will premiere on October 19 at the New Orleans Film Festival. The film is also seeking distribution for a wider release.
“It’s a strange thing to experience, and I’m really happy that audiences are going to have an opportunity to see it,” Ali tells Variety. “It’s been like this ghost limb in my life – something you know is there, something I experienced and was really moved by making and being a part of it. It just never got to meet its audience.”
According to the outlet, “Taste the Revolution” was shot documentary-style and “centers on a film crew following a charismatic leader named Mac Laslow (Ali) as he organizes a movement for disillusioned youth. Exactly what they’re upset about — or protesting — becomes secondary to an excuse to throw and outdoor festival at a borrowed country estate while Mac’s own motives are called into question. It’s both hilarious and sobering — and even though it was shot decades ago, couldn’t feel timelier. And it features a standout turn by Ali, who has also signed on as an executive producer, that foreshadows his spectacular career,” Variety writes.
Klein called it “embarrassing” when explaining why that film never was released theatrically.
“It was embarrassing. We had no money no re-edit and it didn’t make any sense,” he shared. “It was a mess.”
In addition, he also noted that the world has changed dramatically after Sept. 11, 2001. “It instantly made the movie a period piece,” Klein added. “It was also a comedy that contained a scene where Ali’s character had a bomb strapped to his chest. “It felt out of touch and tone deaf and just inappropriate,” he says.
“What did I lose? I lost some years on a movie, but in the scheme of things there was so much more at stake.”
Ali added, “It was like a pain you just learned to live with. I would talk about it from time to time and still feel very proud of the work in my mind. But I had let it go.”
According to Variety, Klein reworked the footage for four years before developing a completely new film.
Ali says his decision to join the team as a producer was natural, “considering how invested I was in its original creation and being that it was something I was excited to be a part of and bring to an audience.”
“Taste the Revolution” will screen on Oct. 19 at the New Orleans Film Festival.
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