Emmett Till's family attends Twin Cities Film Fest screening of "Till"
MINNEAPOLIS – The Twin Cities Film Fest kicked off Thursday night with an emotional, powerful film.
"Till" is based on the true story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955.
The film centers around Till's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, her relationship with her son and her quest for justice after his brutal murder.
"It is mixed emotions because this is a true story. It's our family you're gonna see on screen," said Deborah Watts, a cousin of Emmett Till and co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.
Watts attended the film festival screening of the film with her daughter Teri, who spoke on the importance of what the film represents to their family and American history.
"It shows Emmett. It humanizes him, and that's what we want the world to see. We want to see Mamie's journey, the love that she had for her son as well," said Teri Watts. "She is an American hero. This tragedy happened, it's part of our DNA of America, and so we want to be able to let the world know. She was just 33 years old. A young mother of a child that was murdered."
"The interior side of Mamie Till-Mobley and what motivated her, the love, her care and her courage and where that comes from. You're going to see that. And also her justice journey and how she was able to turn her pain into purpose and passion," Deborah said.
Deborah Watts says the true story behind the film is still clearly relevant today as she reads stories in the news, seeing parallels to what her family went through nearly seven decades ago.
"We believe in connecting the past to the present and future. And some of the same threads of hatred and violence are continuing, unfortunately. And in the Twin Cities here, we have too many examples of lives that have been stolen," she said. "The mothers of the movement, if you will, they know the moment in which Mamie made that decision to move forward to make sure that she stood up, that she stood up for her son and that she would fight for justice for him."
No one was ever convicted for Emmett Till's murder.
The Till family still seeks justice and Watts' hopes others who see the film will also speak out for justice, not just for Emmett but for all families.
"Unfortunately, we're still facing some of those tragedies that are still happening across the country and unfortunately, Mamie has provided that blueprint for how you stand in your dignity, you know, and your humanity, and how you demand that the country bears witnesses to what happened to your child," said Deborah Watts.
The Twin Cities Film Festival will run through next Saturday.
"Till" will be in theaters nationwide starting next Friday.