Love him or hate him, there is no denying that at his best, Spike Lee makes films that ignite passions and inspire debate. His latest project, Miracle At St. Anna, should prove no different. BlackFilm.com has the first pictures (click to make bigger) from this World War 2-set story and describes it as a “tale of four members of the U.S. army’s 92nd division of all-black soldiers, who in 1944 became trapped in a Tuscan village, as they contended with their racist, incompetent commanders and the Nazis”.
The film’s plot, and the original novel that is the basis for the film, is based on an actual incident during World War 2 in the Italian village of Sant’Anna di Stazzema. In August 1944, retreating Nazi SS troops rounded up some 560 villagers, predominantly women, children and the aged, and executed them before burning the bodies. Novelist James McBride is writting the screenplay, based on his own book.
The film stars Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Matteo Sciabordi, John Leguizamo and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Lee has already shot on location in Tuscany, Italy and plans on more shooting in Rome, New York and Nassau, Bahamas.
Producing the film independently, Lee has yet to find a distributor for it, though he hopes to have it in theaters in 2009.
Via Cinematical.
