Citizen King

Top 4 Billed Cast

Taylor Branch
Taylor Branch

Self

David Halberstam
David Halberstam

Self

Andrew Young
Andrew Young

Self

Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Self (archive footage)

Loading Trailer Videos...
  • HomePage

    Citizen King

  • Overview

    Documentary about the final five, turbulent years in the life of civil rights activist Martin Luther King. The story begins at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, when a 34-year-old preacher galvanized millions with his dream for an America free of racism and comes to a bloody end five years later on a motel balcony in Memphis. King has since become a mythic figure, an activist whose works and image are more hotly contested, negotiated and sold than almost anyone else's in American history. (Storyville)

  • Release Date

    2004-01-01

  • Average

    8

  • Rating:

    4.0 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Similar Movies

The Black List: Volume Two
60%

The Black List: Volume Two(en)

2009-02-26

THE BLACK LIST: VOL. 2 profiles some of today's most fascinating African-Americans. From the childhood inspirations that shaped their ambitions, to the evolving American landscape they helped define, to the importance of preserving a unique cultural identity for future generations, these prominent individuals offer a unique look into the zeitgeist of black America, redefining the traditional pejorative notion of a blacklist.

Spies of Mississippi
73%

Spies of Mississippi(en)

2014-02-10

Spies of Mississippi tells the story of a secret spy agency formed by the state of Mississippi to preserve segregation and maintain white supremacy. The anti-civil rights organization was hidden in plain sight in an unassuming office in the Mississippi State Capitol. Funded with taxpayer dollars and granted extraordinary latitude to carry out its mission, the Commission evolved from a propaganda machine into a full blown spy operation. How do we know this is true? The Commission itself tells us in more than 146,000 pages of files preserved by the State. This wealth of first person primary historical material guides us through one of the most fascinating and yet little known stories of America's quest for Civil Rights.

Framing Britney Spears
72%

Framing Britney Spears(en)

2021-02-05

Her rise was a global phenomenon. Her downfall was a cruel national sport. People close to Britney Spears and lawyers tied to her conservatorship now reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life.

Stories of A
33%

Stories of A(fr)

1974-10-16

French documentary campaigning for the liberalization of abortion and contraception, directed by Charles Belmont and Marielle Issartel in 1973.

Riotsville, USA
49%

Riotsville, USA(en)

2022-09-16

An archival documentary about the U.S. military’s response to the political and racial injustices of the late 1960s: take a military base, build a mock inner-city set, cast soldiers to play rioters, burn the place down, and film it all.

Breath of Freedom
0%

Breath of Freedom(en)

2014-02-17

In World War II. African-American GIs liberate Germany from Nazi rule while racism prevailed in their own army and home country. Returning home they continue fighting for their own rights in the civil rights movement.

Steal This Film
56%

Steal This Film(en)

2006-08-21

Steal This Film focuses on Pirate Bay founders Gottfrid Svartholm, Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde, prominent members of the Swedish filesharing community. The makers claimed that 'Old Media' documentary crews couldn't understand the internet culture that filesharers took part in, and that they saw peer-to-peer organization as a threat to their livelihoods. Because of that, they were determined to accurately represent the filesharing community from within. Notably, Steal This Film was released and distributed, free of charge, through the same filesharing networks that the film documents.

1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond
80%

1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond(en)

2018-07-20

The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the May events in France, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, the Prague Spring, the Chicago riots, the Mexico Summer Olympics, the presidential election of Richard Nixon, the Apollo 8 space mission, the hippies and the Yippies, Bullitt and the living dead. Once upon a time the year 1968.

The Third Man
0%

The Third Man(en)

2016-09-16

The moment where American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved hands in defiance on the podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics is one of the most memorable images in sports history. But there is a third man in the photo, the white Australian who finished second to Smith and ahead of Carlos in the 200 meters. His name is Peter Norman, and he stands in quiet solidarity with them. Norman’s story is retold in this film with passion and perspective.

The Red Elvis
72%

The Red Elvis(de)

2007-02-13

A documentary on the late American entertainer Dean Reed, who became a huge star in East Germany after settling there in 1973.

Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992
76%

Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992(en)

2017-04-21

An in-depth look at the culture of Los Angeles in the ten years leading up to the 1992 uprising that erupted after the verdict of police officers cleared of beating Rodney King.

Black Magic
0%

Black Magic(en)

2008-03-08

Examines Civil Rights-era America through the prism of basketball at historically black colleges and universities.

But... Seriously
85%

But... Seriously(en)

1994-03-25

A documentary juxtaposing the events of the 20th century with the commentary of stand-up comedians.

Before Stonewall
65%

Before Stonewall(en)

1984-09-15

New York City's Stonewall Inn is regarded by many as the site of gay and lesbian liberation since it was at this bar that drag queens fought back against police June 27-28, 1969. This documentary uses extensive archival film, movie clips and personal recollections to construct an audiovisual history of the gay community before the Stonewall riots.

The Times of Harvey Milk
73%

The Times of Harvey Milk(en)

1984-10-07

Harvey Milk was an outspoken human rights activist and one of the first openly gay U.S. politicians elected to public office; even after his assassination in 1978, he continues to inspire disenfranchised people around the world.

Salute
66%

Salute(en)

2008-07-17

The black power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympics was an iconic moment in the US civil rights struggle. Far less known is the part in that episode in history played by Peter Norman, the white Australian on the podium who had run second — and the price paid afterward by all three athletes.

Malcolm X: Make It Plain
90%

Malcolm X: Make It Plain(en)

1994-01-26

Narrated by actress Alfre Woodard, this trenchant, eye-opening doc traces the radical civil rights leader’s life from his tumultuous childhood, through his rise in the ranks of the Nation of Islam, to his 1965 assassination.

CIRILO, A Legacy Untold
100%

CIRILO, A Legacy Untold(en)

2025-02-14

Born into poverty in Panama, Cirilo McSween’s journey is one of defiance, resilience, and triumph over systemic barriers. Against the backdrop of Jim Crow America, he confronts racism while pursuing the American Dream. From his arrival in the U.S. as an ambitious immigrant to his rise as a trailblazing entrepreneur and civil rights activist, McSween’s life stands as a testament to determination and community. Through tireless advocacy for equality and opportunity, he helped shape both Panama’s identity and Chicago’s civil rights movement. A confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a pioneering insurance executive, and a philanthropist empowering underserved communities, McSween’s story bridges nations and generations. CIRILO, A Legacy Untold illuminates a transformative figure whose legacy continues to inspire across the Americas.

Obaida
0%

Obaida(en)

2019-04-24

OBAIDA, a short film by Matthew Cassel, explores a Palestinian child’s experience of Israeli military arrest. Each year, some 700 Palestinian children undergo military detention in a system where ill-treatment is widespread and institutionalized. For these young detainees, few rights are guaranteed, even on paper. After release, the experience of detention continues to shape and mark former child prisoners’ path forward.

Indian Rights for Indian Women
0%

Indian Rights for Indian Women(en)

2018-09-25

Three intrepid women battle for Indigenous women's treaty rights.

Recommendations Movies

I Am Not Your Negro
77%

I Am Not Your Negro(en)

2017-02-03

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends
71%

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends(en)

2019-12-10

This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
69%

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin(en)

2003-05-01

Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.

McQueen
75%

McQueen(en)

2018-06-08

Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.

Listen to Me Marlon
75%

Listen to Me Marlon(en)

2015-07-29

With exclusive access to his extraordinary unseen and unheard personal archive including hundreds of hours of audio recorded over the course of his life, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career as an actor and his extraordinary life away from the stage and screen with Brando himself as your guide, the film will fully explore the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely from Marlon's perspective, entirely in his own voice. No talking heads, no interviewees, just Brando on Brando and life.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon
67%

The U.S. vs. John Lennon(en)

2006-09-15

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

Sidney
73%

Sidney(en)

2022-09-10

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

For the Love of Spock
74%

For the Love of Spock(en)

2016-09-09

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story
75%

The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story(en)

2019-04-29

A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.

Gilbert
67%

Gilbert(en)

2017-04-20

The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.

Welcome to Chechnya
68%

Welcome to Chechnya(en)

2020-01-26

This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.

The Class of ‘92
71%

The Class of ‘92(en)

2013-12-01

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

Downloaded
65%

Downloaded(en)

2013-06-20

A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

Louis Theroux: Twilight of the Porn Stars
64%

Louis Theroux: Twilight of the Porn Stars(en)

2012-06-10

In 1997, Louis Theroux made a documentary about the world of male porn performers in Los Angeles. 15 years later, he returns to find a business struggling with the deluge of free porn on the internet. Louis revisits some of the original programme's contributors as well as meeting the latest crop of porn performers dreaming of porn stardom.

The Final Year
71%

The Final Year(en)

2018-01-19

Featuring unprecedented access inside the White House and State Department, The Final Year offers an uncompromising view of the inner workings of the Obama Administration as they prepare to leave power after eight years.

David Byrne's American Utopia
76%

David Byrne's American Utopia(en)

2020-09-10

A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.

Amazing Grace
71%

Amazing Grace(en)

2018-12-07

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the recording of Aretha Franklin's best-selling album finally sees the light of day more than four decades after the original footage was shot.

Fuck
64%

Fuck(en)

2006-11-10

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

A Plastic Ocean
75%

A Plastic Ocean(en)

2016-09-22

A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

I Am Heath Ledger
74%

I Am Heath Ledger(en)

2017-04-23

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.