Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

This World Is Not My Own

Released May 3 1h 37m Documentary Animation Biography List
100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews
Beginning with her birthday July 4, 1900, artist Nellie Mae Rowe's life spanned the 20th century. For most of her life, Nellie made art in obscurity, propelled by a force she viewed as a God-given gift. As the daughter of a sharecropper and former slave, she made art from whatever she could find. As an adult, she transformed her home into her "Playhouse," an imaginative oasis filled with vibrant drawings, handmade sculptures and dolls, and collected objects. Six years before her death, a wealthy gallerist, Judith Alexander, "discovered" and introduced her work to the art world. Over four acts, This World is Not My Own traces the lifespan of an artist who struggles to dedicate her life to art while exploring the personal and political events that shaped her singular body of work. The film mixes traditional documentary techniques with animations and scripted scenes shot in intricately detailed sets to bring her dynamic story to life. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (7) Critics Reviews
Phil Hoad Guardian With directors Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell getting their own hands messy on the creative front, this frieze of poverty, segregation and artistic self-rescue borrows a good deal of the persuasiveness and energy of its central figure. Rated: 3/5 May 20, 2024 Full Review Sheri Linden Hollywood Reporter Fittingly playful and bold. Mar 12, 2023 Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru Captivating, refreshing, stylish and illuminating. May 2, 2024 Full Review Tina Kakadelis Beyond the Cinerama Dome It was never about fame in the traditional sense, but about cultivating community and love. That’s the answer to immortality. It’s in how you treat people, how you create, and how you nourish yourself with art. Jul 24, 2023 Full Review Jason Gorber POV Magazine Historically rich, artistically brave, and formally inventive, this work of non-fiction is as quirky as its subject. May 15, 2023 Full Review Louisa Moore Screen Zealots An unconventional, eccentric, hybrid documentary that’s as inventive as its subject. Apr 10, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews
This World Is Not My Own

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
Heaven Rain Flows Sweetly 100% % Heaven Rain Flows Sweetly The Bengali 71% % The Bengali Angel Applicant 100% % Angel Applicant Black Barbie 96% 59% Black Barbie The Melt Goes on Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons 83% % The Melt Goes on Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons TRAILER for The Melt Goes on Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All This World Is Not My Own photos

This World Is Not My Own

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Beginning with her birthday July 4, 1900, artist Nellie Mae Rowe's life spanned the 20th century. For most of her life, Nellie made art in obscurity, propelled by a force she viewed as a God-given gift. As the daughter of a sharecropper and former slave, she made art from whatever she could find. As an adult, she transformed her home into her "Playhouse," an imaginative oasis filled with vibrant drawings, handmade sculptures and dolls, and collected objects. Six years before her death, a wealthy gallerist, Judith Alexander, "discovered" and introduced her work to the art world. Over four acts, This World is Not My Own traces the lifespan of an artist who struggles to dedicate her life to art while exploring the personal and political events that shaped her singular body of work. The film mixes traditional documentary techniques with animations and scripted scenes shot in intricately detailed sets to bring her dynamic story to life.
Director
Petter Ringbom, Marquise Stillwell
Producer
Ruchi Mital
Screenwriter
Ruchi Mital, Petter Ringbom
Distributor
Juno Films
Production Co
Opendox
Genre
Documentary, Animation, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 3, 2024, Limited
Runtime
1h 37m