After its debut in 2016, “Hubert: His Story,” a film directed by Geri Alumit Zeldes, School of Journalism professor and ComArtSci faculty excellence advocate, found its place in the Traverse City Film Festival this summer.
“Hubert: His Story” is a film telling the story of a former prisoner, Hubert Roberts, who uses his life experiences to teach and give back to the youth in his hometown of Flint.
Zeldes believes the film is really about a fork in the road.
“One decision for Hubert Roberts was to commit a crime that landed him in jail for 17.5 years. The other decisions have been great decisions for him; he came out of prison a different person,” Zeldes said. “In prison he read hundreds of books about African and African-American history. So he uses his story, his story of incarceration, as well as black history, to engage students in Flint and to get them to choose the right path — the right fork in the road.”
Aside from Zeldes, the film’s crew comprised various MSU students, including journalism graduate student Lizzy Lafave. Lafave said she enjoys working with Zeldes whenever she can.
“I never turn down an opportunity to work with Professor Zeldes,” Lafave said. “I never stop learning from her. I am extremely passionate about sharing the stories that come out of Flint, and Hubert has one heck of a story.”
Lafave was confident the film left a lasting impression on its viewers at TCFF.
“Hubert is such an inspiring person. I feel that if you are human, his story will touch you no matter what your background is,” Lafave said. “I think those who were able to see the film at the Traverse City Film Festival were moved to be better people. I am so proud to have been a part of the Hubert team in any way, and look forward to seeing the film's success grow even more.”
