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The Lorraine

Play trailer The Lorraine 2026 1h 24m Documentary History Play Trailer Watchlist
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In the heart of Memphis, Walter and Loree Bailey's Lorraine Hotel was both a thriving hub of Black entrepreneurship and a destination for the greatest musicians of the 20th century -- a place where Civil Rights demonstrations were planned, musical hits were written, and Black and white artists created history together. A rare, black-owned establishment, The Lorraine served as a safe haven and sanctuary for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. Then, on April 4, 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. outside Room 306 cleaved that history in two, and the world forgot everything else. Urgent yet deeply joyful, THE LORRAINE is both a reckoning with the Civil Rights Movement's unfinished legacy and a celebration of Black excellence and resilience. Renowned documentarian Sam Pollard uses archival footage and music along with the voices of those who lived it to vividly revive what was lost. The film ultimately becomes a story of reclamation: of space, history, and identity. Of transforming trauma into light. THE LORRAINE reminds us that history is never as neatly resolved as we're taught to believe, and that the fight for justice is still very much evolving.

Cast & Crew

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Sam Pollard

Director

Alvin Hall

Screenwriter

Juleyka Lantigua

Screenwriter

Joseph Wemple

Screenwriter

Dan Braun

Producer

Joseph Wemple

Producer
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The Lorraine

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the heart of Memphis, Walter and Loree Bailey's Lorraine Hotel was both a thriving hub of Black entrepreneurship and a destination for the greatest musicians of the 20th century -- a place where Civil Rights demonstrations were planned, musical hits were written, and Black and white artists created history together. A rare, black-owned establishment, The Lorraine served as a safe haven and sanctuary for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. Then, on April 4, 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. outside Room 306 cleaved that history in two, and the world forgot everything else. Urgent yet deeply joyful, THE LORRAINE is both a reckoning with the Civil Rights Movement's unfinished legacy and a celebration of Black excellence and resilience. Renowned documentarian Sam Pollard uses archival footage and music along with the voices of those who lived it to vividly revive what was lost. The film ultimately becomes a story of reclamation: of space, history, and identity. Of transforming trauma into light. THE LORRAINE reminds us that history is never as neatly resolved as we're taught to believe, and that the fight for justice is still very much evolving.
Director
Sam Pollard
Producer
Dan Braun, Joseph Wemple, Ben Braun
Screenwriter
Alvin Hall, Juleyka Lantigua, Joseph Wemple
Genre
Documentary, History
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 24m