Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Rain Man
Legally, a filmmaker doesn't need permission of the entity in question to make a movie portraying them.
Example in point.
The 1997 movie Titanic won 11 Oscars and amassed millions of dollars in box office receipts. IIRC, director James Cameron didn't ask the Cunard Shipping Lines (successor of the White Star Line) for permission to portray the ship and the disaster (although this was the 8th theatrical protrayal of the disaster--and in one of the movies Titanic's Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall served as technical advisor in "A Night to Remember" in 1967--but I digress). Nonetheless, the movie was filmed, screened, and the rest is history.
Point is, I don't think these filmmakers are trying to capitalize off Delta any more than James Cameron was trying to capitalize off the White Star/Cunard Line. Granted, it would have been nice and would have served as a bonus if they did get Delta's NEB's blessing, but if not, so what? You cannot legally reserve the right (copyright/trademark/patent) to a historical event, which is essentially all this is and all this comes down to.
Just a thought.
|
They may not need permission per se but there are images that are in fact copyrighted/trademarked (just ask Converse) and I am curious as to whether or not any of those things were used in the movie. In addition, it is important to make clear that this "project" is in no way associated with or endorsed by Delta and that there has been no quality control whatsoever as to the accuracy of the facts in the story. If they had wanted to make a movie depicting what life was ike for Black women in the early 1900's they could have done that mentioning the formation of Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta with out making an unauthorized movie about either's history. None of this means they couldn't make the movie but, for me, it means that I am not interested in it and will make others aware of its pitfalls and Delta's position.