RECLAIMING THE LIGHT: The Life & Times of Lewis Latimer 

Are you into period dramas? Do you want to see folks who look like you in costume dramas? Imagine the year is 1881 and you are walking along the Rue Saint Paul in Montreal at night. You see a well dressed African American Man who has a pleasant face with spectacles, in a three piece suit, hat,  and a bright yellow tie. He extends his hand to shake yours and says “Hello I’m Lewis H. Latimer, electrical engineer”.  He gestures to the electric street lamps, and says “This is my handiwork.”

If you want to see African American Geniuses in a costume drama this is for you!

My name is Nadine Patterson, and I love writing and directing films and learning about history from an African American perspective. The films I have directed include Tango Macbeth, Moving with the Dreaming (about Aboriginal Modern Dance in Australia), Anna Russell Jones and  We Are Free Because of Harriet Tubman.

I am directing my second narrative feature film RECLAIMING THE LIGHT: The Life & Times of Lewis Latimer along with an incredible team of producers, Martha R. Conley (Lost in the Hype), Parris Z. Moore (KINYARWANDA), Marlene G. Patterson (Tango Macbeth, Moving with the Dreaming). Your support will help to bring one of the few historical period dramas made by African Americans to film festivals, theaters, classrooms and homes around the world.

Since the release of The 1619 Project in 2019 our country has faced an intense backlash against African American History being taught in schools and the banning of Black History Books. By supporting this project, you will help in getting out the truth about the self help and uplift of African Americans via education, scientific innovation, and collective political action in the 19th Century . 

Your contribution can help fill in the gaps by making a film that tells the story of Black Excellence immediately following the Emancipation Act. The burst of creativity and expansion that accompanied freedom from enslavement is best told through the story of the great inventor Lewis Latimer. Mr. Latimer worked on the design and patent application of the Telephone with Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, electric light bulb design and manufacturing with Hiram Maxim, and built the industrial light bulb industry with Thomas Alva Edison. Without Latimer’s patent in 1881 of the long lasting carbon filament, electric light would not have been commercially viable for working class homes and small businesses by the early 20th Century.

The total film budget for production is $860,000. We aim to complete the film by December 2025. $35,000 is what we need now to complete the Research and Development Phase. 

This Fractured Atlas Campaign will cover:

Your Contribution can make a difference by amplifying the truth about our American history. African Americans were integral to the building of America, and period dramas such as this face an uphill battle in gaining Industry financing. But individuals like you understand the importance of having a shared history of the American experience from an African American perspective. Diversity of viewpoint, voice and vision is key to educating our communities that we have more in common. We have a shared brilliance and hunger to learn and to share.

Mr. Latimer believed in helping others, and giving everyone, regardless of financial status, ethnicity or gender access to a brighter future.

If we don’t reach our goal, partial funding will help us complete research on our 90 page script.

There are other ways to help us.