Jackson Free Press

"Beah: A Black Woman Speaks" is a gift from Beah Richards and LisaGay Hamilton that has the power to change anybody who has the courage to let it. The two women fatefully came together when they were both at a crossroads in their lives. Richards was dealing with her mortality as emphysema was proving to be the only battle of her life that she would lose. And Hamilton was going through her own personal changes.

She was searching when she began her visits with Richards—the first one left Hamilton literally "vibrating," and Richards was ready and waiting to share the wisdom of a thousand years. Their journey produced a stunning film that is a document of the huge life of one of the greatest actresses of our time, but it also is the portrait of an indomitable spirit, a tireless warrior, an African teacher, a political activist, a dancer, a profound thinker, a writer, a daughter and a friend.

"Beah," which Hamilton says is second only to the birth of her son, was her directorial documentary debut, and she has decided to continue her career as a director because of this film and the time she spent with Richards. "My hand is still hot from the baton that she passed me," Hamilton said in a phone interview from New York.

Hamilton was surprised when director Jonathan Demme called her and asked her if she was ready to direct this documentary. Demme had directed both women in the film "Beloved," in 1997, and she had shared with him how powerful her visits with Richards were. Half-jokingly, Hamilton told him that they should do something on the regal actress, but then Demme sent her two cameras, producers Joe Viola and Neda Armian, and a note that said: "Do it!"

Hamilton, a graduate of Julliard School of Drama and Tisch School of the Arts, had played Rebecca Washington, a lawyer with a conscience, on the hit series "The Practice. Still, she knew nothing about cameras or lighting, but she took on the challenge.

She felt Richards needed to leave behind her sense of spirituality and connectedness to the earth as a guide for all people, especially African Americans. "From the beginning it was a collaborative effort," Hamilton said. "I think there were certain things Beah wanted to say, and I was perfectly happy to provide her with the platform and the freedom to do that. But I also wanted to put her life into historical context for posterity."

Hamilton says she was so in awe of Richards that she left the camera off sometimes even though Richards rarely asked her to stop filming unless she was tired. "There were some wonderful moments that I didn't get on film."

Viola urged Hamilton to keep the cameras rolling all the time, even when Richards was moving from the house where she had lived for 25 years. Hamilton balked at that, wondering what could be accomplished by filming a moving, but she recorded it, and those moments help convey how excruciating it was for Richards to leave her place filled with so many memories and return to Mississippi when she could no longer take care of herself.

There were cathartic homecoming moments when Hamilton made the trip back to Mississippi with Richards that she says she did not use in the film because they were so private. But they bear witness to the gratitude she had for those who stayed behind to fight and face the dogs and hoses.

Hamilton said the project was blessed, that things sometimes magically fell into place. Most of the footage she used of Richards' stage and television performances were donated, and they allowed people to see sides of Richards that they never even imagine existed. "Most people knew Beah as an actress," Hamilton said. "They had no idea she was a writer and activist and that she was so profound."

Hamilton helped Richards to get a role on "The Practice," for which she won her third Emmy. Hamilton accepted it for her and returned to Mississippi to give it to her. She and Richards stayed up most of the night talking and at one point, Richard said to the other two: "'Let's talk about the Theory of Relativity,'" Hamilton recalls. "It was just her way of trying to tell us that she would always be around in some form or another."

But Hamilton had no idea that she would not see Richards again. The 80-year-old actress would die 10 days later on Sept. 14, 2000. Hamilton and she had begun the film project in spring 1999.

Even after the documentary was edited, and it was clear how remarkable it was, Hamilton still had trouble getting it aired. Even PBS passed on it. But then HBO stepped up, and Hamilton said working with the cable channel was "wonderful."

HBO used "Beah" as the centerpiece of a series, "Hearing Her Voice: Black History/Herstory" that celebrated black women. It first aired Feb. 25, and will continue to air throughout the year.

Because of Richards, Hamilton also became one of the film's financial backers. "I am so happy that we, African Americans, now own a part of this project," Hamilton said.

Richards' point was that if people believed in their own power, then owning their work and the resources to produce work would naturally be something that they would want to do.

And Hamilton is now finding her way as a director because she now feels the tremendous responsibility that she has. "Beah challenged me—all of us—to be the best that we can be, and to not be paralyzed by fear. I take very seriously my responsibility to give what I am supposed to give. Now, I'm thinking about the kinds of stories I want to tell—fiction or non-fiction, and the way I want to tell them," she said. " I want to do work that is healthy, nutritional and nourishing."