The story: Robeson plays Zinga, a black dockworker in England with a great baritone singing voice. When he is discovered by an opera impresario, he is catapulted into fame as an international opera star. But he feels alienated from his African past, and out of place in England. By chance he learns that an ancestral medallion that he wears proves his descent from African kings, which leads to his renouncing fame and fortune to take his rightful place with his people. He plans to improve their lives by combining the best of western technology with the best of traditional African ways.
The Song of Freedom offered Paul Robeson the opportunity to "give a true picture of many aspects of the life of the coloured man in the West. Hitherto on the screen, he has been characterized or presented only as a comedy character. This film shows him as a real man." Robeson had final cut approval on the film, an unprecedented option at the time for an actor of any race. Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM (ET)
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