Name: At the River I Stand
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 56 min
Rating: 8.5
Cast: Paul Winfield

Great Storytelling and Gives Voice to a Forgotten Group

Most Americans and even many historians forget the reason why Dr. King came to Memphis; this documentary tells the story of the sanitation workers' strike in 1968.

Ignored by the labor unions, the white power structure, and even their fellow citizens, these workers walked off the job in early 1968 over poor working conditions and poor wages.

The support of the women, children, and others in the African American community of Memphis is demonstrated in this film; without this support, the workers' cause would not have gone on for as long as it did.

The filmmakers, like most good storytellers, chose an antagonist (Mayor Henry Loeb) and used the workers, not Dr. King, as their protagonists.

The film is narrated (ably by Paul Winfield) in the present tense, although it was made in 1993; the 'modern' interviews, filmed that same year, give great perspective and commentary to the narration's reportage. The filmmakers used footage that had been collected at that time to show the events of 1968, and the interviews 25 years later mesh seamlessly.

The true 'star' of this documentary is the sanitation workers who did the job no one else wanted to do but had the courage to stand up and say to the world, "I AM a man!"

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

This moving documentary recounts the two months leading to Martin Luther King Jr.'s death in 1968, coinciding with the 65-day strike of 1300 Memphis sanitation workers.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Marcello Mastroianni, Annie Girardot, and Renato Salvatori in The Organizer (1963)

Cher, Kurt Russell, and Meryl Streep in Silkwood (1983)

Charles S. Dutton, Mario Van Peebles, and Andre Braugher in 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002)

With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade

With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade (1979)

At the River I Stand

Photos

Cast1

User reviews3

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed