‘Unsinkable Freedom’ Movie at ALPLM
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum caps off its celebration of Black History Month by introducing a new short film recounting the exciting story of Robert Smalls, who used his wits and seamanship to lead 15 people on a daring escape from slavery.
“Unsinkable Freedom” begins running at the museum on February 27, a day after its world premiere at a special event. It will run every 15 minutes throughout the museum’s day for the next three months.
Smalls was an enslaved man in Charleston, SC, when the Civil War began. He was forced to work aboard the Confederate ship Planter in Charleston Harbor and nearby coastal waters. On May 12, 1862, Smalls and the other enslaved men were left aboard ship by white officers. Seizing the opportunity, they launched a long-simmering plan to sneak their families aboard and sail to freedom.
“Unsinkable Freedom” dramatizes that dangerous trip. The 11-minute film shows how Smalls got the families aboard, impersonated the ship’s captain, sailed past Confederate checkpoints and finally reached U.S. Navy ships and freedom.
“Very few stories can match the escape of Robert Smalls for both drama and inspiration,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “He risked everything to win freedom for his friends and loved ones. And after their escape, he served with the U.S. Navy and was later elected to Congress. We at the ALPLM are proud to tell part of his amazing story.”
“Unsinkable Freedom” was written and directed by Kameron Gates, an artist and animator based in Petersburg, Illinois. It stars ALPLM actor Reggie Guyton as Smalls.
The film was created using a hybrid of production techniques from animation, VFX and video games. It has a hyper-wide aspect ratio to take advantage of the three screens surrounding audiences in the museum’s Mr. Lincoln Theater. It also features 5.1 surround sound.
The actors’ faces and body performances were recorded using motion capture. Additional animation was created using classic keyframe techniques. The historic Charleston Harbor was built and rendered inside Unreal Engine a tool created for video games that has expanded into visual effects for TV and film.
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.
For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov. You can follow the ALPLM on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.