Thumbs Up for Mother Universe

The plot

This feature-length documentary traces the dramatic life of Lonnie Holley from the garbage dumps and prison camps of Jim Crow Alabama to the music stages and art museums of the world. Along the way, the film reveals the spirituality of Holley’s creative process; his insights into conservation, ecology and the environment; and his deep sources of inspiration rooted in southern life and African American history and culture.

Lonnie B. Holley has been described as an outsider, a poet, a con man, a prophet, a hustler, a visionary artist, a junkman and a shaman. Foremost, the 69-year-old African American artist and musician from Birmingham, Alabama is an American original. Born the seventh of 27 children, Holley’s childhood is the stuff of novels.

• Age Rating General (12 and under)
• Running time 01:35:04 mins



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