The world has recognized the supreme talent of Oscar-winning and Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis. But to be successful she had to overcome enormous obstacles, the poor who grew up in Central Steel, Rhode Island.
A number of these obstacles become strikingly evident in an episode of the Apple TV + docu series. Valued… Which is dedicated to Davis. Now in its second season, the show features a different singer, activist or athlete in each piece, built from letters written by community members inspired by their example.
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Among the subjects of the second season, along with Davis, are the actors Jane Fonda, Sandra O and Billy Porter; director Ava Doverney; And NBA’s Hall of Fame Karim Abdul-Jabbar. Choosing the icons is an important part of the process, explained host and executive producer Don Jackson when he appeared on Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted.
“This is a collaboration between a production company and Apple TV + executives, and we’re looking for a broad range of people who have made an impact on global culture,” Jackson said. “At one point we had a list of 170 names to look into and ideally we’ll get them all over the next few seasons.”
The authors of the letters come from all walks of life. Finding these authors is up to the producers Valued…Squad.
“[They] “It beats social media,” Jackson explained. “They look at the articles, maybe even touch their friend to see if they know someone, who knows someone, etc. But this is a vision beyond imagination, [people] Who spoke deeply about this man who impacted their lives. ანი The point is really to see how these ripples are generated in the pool: who influenced someone and how is this person trying to influence other people now, in their little part of the world?
Director and cinematographer Jenna Rocher captures segments with trailers reading mailed letters and sets letter writers in a setting that reveals something about them.
“We really want to get used to the environment they come from and we almost want to live their lives,” said Rocher. “Let’s walk around his neighborhood, let’s go to his house. You can see family members around him. We want to understand where they come from and how this icon, this individual, has clearly affected their lives and see the things they do that feed on that person’s energy. “
Valued… The first two seasons featured a wide variety of icons and card writers.
“It’s a solid choice,” Jackson said. “The goal is to show, with this wide range of ethnicities, personalities and ages, how similar we are in the end. It’s easier to point this out if you see all of these differences, but what emerges emotionally is their core humanity – we all feel the same way. We are afraid of things, we are afraid of things, we are afraid of things. And if you see a variety of people doing this from different parts of the world, then you get the feeling, “This is what we are made of. This is what humans do I am. And I think it’s a wonderful way to illustrate it. “
On Monday, watch the panel video, which includes a clip of Big Wave surfing legend Laird Hamilton bringing a touching letter to tears.
Source: Deadline
