Queen Latifah and Jill Scott have teamed up to produce and star in a Lifetime original movie about the Flint, Michigan water crisis that made national headlines. The singers are two well-known celebrities taking part in the project. Betsy Brandt and Marin Ireland are also part of the film.
Cher was scheduled to star in the film and be an executive producer, but she withdrew from the project last month because of a serious family issue that must keep her in Los Angeles. She will not be able to be on location in Toronto during the filming of the movie, which starts this week.
Cher criticized
Before Cher backed out from her involvement with the movie, the singer and actress received unwarranted criticism for taking part in the film. Some people voiced their opinion that a white woman shouldn't be part of a movie about a city full of black people. People other than blacks are affected by the water crisis. Other whites are involved in the project such as Katie Couric. Besides, Cher has always been quite passionate about what was going on in Flint, and she has helped the residents. In January, she partnered with the Icelandic Glacial water company to donate almost 200,000 bottles of water to Flint residents. She encouraged other celebrities to help in similar ways.
The movie
"Flint" is based on a real situation that started back in April 2014. It is a true story about thousands of residents being exposed to high levels of lead in the water. The movie centers around three women who looked for justice after the government deliberately contaminated the water. Residents drank the water without knowing lead had deliberately been put in the water supply.
They cooked with it, used it for baths, and for brushing their teeth.
The Lifetime movie will center on the residents and the activists who go up against an unwilling government. Thirteen local and state employees have been charged because of their involvement in the water crisis. Two former emergency managers have also been charged.
They are Jerry Ambrose and Darnell Earley.
The stars are using a script for their part in the movie, but their passion is so real that they could perform without a script. No word has been revealed about a release date for the Lifetime movie. Once the filming gets underway, the network will be able to estimate when "Flint" will be aired. Are you interested in seeing the movie when it comes out?
