Nellie Mae Rowe Documentary 'This World is Not My Own' Premieres on YouTube July 2

The documentary 'This World is Not My Own,' focusing on self-taught Black artist Nellie Mae Rowe, will be accessible for free on YouTube beginning July 2, 2024, thanks to Black Public Media. Directed by Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell of OpenDox and produced by Ruchi Mital, this 97-minute film features a blend of interviews, 3D animations in miniature settings, and scripted readings of Rowe's writings. It examines her life and late achievements within the context of post-abolition Georgia, touching on her ties to the 1906 Atlanta Race Riots and the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan. The documentary, narrated by Uzo Aduba as Rowe and Amy Warren as Alexander, includes insights from family, historians, and colleagues of art dealer Judith Alexander, who represented Rowe in the 1970s. Born on July 4, 1900, in Fayetteville, Georgia, Rowe was one of ten children of a former enslaved sharecropper and a seamstress. After leaving school to work on a cotton farm, she went on to create numerous dolls and drawings, transforming her Vinings home into a 'Playhouse' filled with her art. The film also explores Rowe's intricate feelings about her legacy and self-worth. Additionally, a ticketed screening is scheduled for Juneteenth at the Tara Theater in Atlanta.