Sundance: Taraji P. Henson to Narrate Nikki Giovanni Doc ‘Going to Mars’ (Exclusive)

Taraji P. Henson will lend her voice to the Sundance-bound Nikki Giovanni doc Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project. Henson, who has also been named an executive producer, will voice Giovanni’s seminal poems throughout the film.

Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson directed the feature, which will debut in the festival’s U.S. documentary competition section. The doc, according to the project’s description, sees “present-day Giovanni reckon with the inevitable passing of time, while an evocative melding of vérité and archival images act as openings into her mindscape, transcending time and place. The Afro-futuristic lens honors Giovanni’s complexity and transports us on a journey through Black liberation from the perspective of one of America’s most acclaimed and beloved writers, a profound artist and activist.”

Brewster, Stephenson and Tommy Oliver for Confluential Films produced Going to Mars, with Codie Elaine Oliver executive producing along with Henson. Cinetic Media is handling sales out of the fest

Said Henson, “I’m thrilled to join Michèle and Joe in bringing Nikki’s remarkable work to life on screen. Interpreting and giving voice to her powerful words was a revelatory and emotional process, and moved me completely. This film reflects Nikki’s vibrance and legacy in all its complexity, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

“Taraji’s grace, generosity, and creative skills are legendary,” added the directors. “We were swept away by her embrace and complex interpretation of Nikki’s poetry. Having her join us is truly the Universe at work!”