Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes + What Could Have Been - Film Screening

A special screening on the Beinecke Library mezzanine of two films that activate essential archives of New Haven, Yale, and national history - “Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes” and “What Could Have Been.”

Narrated by veteran actor and voice artist Keith David, “Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes” follows the quest of one woman, Regina Mason, in tracing the steps of her ancestor, who traveled along the Underground Railroad to freedom and authored the first fugitive slave narrative in U.S. history. The film is based on the Afterword of the authoritative edition of the book, “Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave,” written by Regina Mason and published in 2008 by Oxford University Press. The Afterword, “My Long Road Back to William Grimes” reveals Mason’s 15-year path to authenticate her ancestor’s story and the intense personal sacrifices that made editing and publishing a new edition of the Grimes narrative possible.

In making the film, Director and Producer Sean Durant sought to convey not only Mason’s long road to uncover her past, but also the unimaginable conditions that faced William Grimes as he struggled to free himself from slavery. To this end, Durant chose to use artfully-crafted re-enactments combined with current-day Mason reflecting on her own story and a masterful narration by Keith David. The result is a compelling and provocative documentary film from first time feature filmmaker Durant.

“What Could Have Been” confronts the history of how Black New Haven leaders helped lead the charge to create the nation’s first Black college in 1831—the dawn of the abolition movement—only to be rejected by white property owners of the city. Produced by Beinecke Library, the short documentary film was directed by Tubyez Cropper and written by Michael Morand and Cropper.

Regina Mason and Sean Durant will be present at the screenings and will offer comments at the event.

Note that seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis, there are no reservations and registration is not required