This time, it’s Sibil Fox Richardson’s turn to tell their decade-spanning love story. For the sequel to Oscar-nominated short documentary film “Time,” Richardson AKA Fox Rich steps behind the camera to capture her family’s quest for justice amid the legal system. “Time II: Unfinished Business” is helmed by the self-taught Rich and includes visuals taken from over 30 years of her personal archive.
Whereas Garrett Bradley’s lauded 2020 documentary “Time” charted Fox Rich and spouse Robert Richardson’s romance amid a 60-year prison sentence, “Unfinished Business” captures Rob’s release from jail and the couple’s ongoing efforts to bring home their unjustly imprisoned nephew and fall partner, Ontario, and countless others, per the official synopsis.
“Since my release from prison in 2002, the belief that ‘to be free is to free others’ has been my guiding principle,” director Rich said in an official statement. “Through the power of storytelling, I aim to shed light on the struggles and biases faced by those within the criminal justice system, while exploring themes of personal transformation and the impact of love, family, and community in the life of the marginalized.”
She continued, “By amplifying these narratives, we pave the way toward a more just and compassionate society. We invite you to join us on this transformative ride as ‘Time II: Unfinished Business’ makes its world premiere, promising an experience that will resonate long after the credits roll.”
In IndieWire’s 2020 review of “Time,” David Ehrlich wrote, “Rob’s incarceration suggests that time isn’t measured by what changes, but rather by what doesn’t. And Fox’s struggle to free him suggests that perhaps time isn’t measured by what’s lost, but rather by what isn’t.”
Ehrlich added, “How can you convey the full length of 21 years in the span of a single film, let alone a documentary that runs just 81 minutes? And from its degraded opening images — borrowed from the first of a thousand video messages that a black Louisiana woman named Sibil Fox Richardson (AKA ‘Fox Rich’) recorded for her husband as she waited for him to be released from the State Penitentiary — offers a similarly simple answer: You don’t measure it in length, but rather in loss.”
At the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Bradley won the Directing Award in the U.S. Documentary competition, becoming the first African-American woman to win in that category. The film was one of the most lauded of the year, and in addition to its Oscars nom, was also nominated at the Indie Spirits and by a slew of critics groups. It also won the Gotham Award for Best Documentary.
“Time II: Unfinished Business” will debut at the Essence Film Festival next month. Check out the film’s first teaser, an IndieWire exclusive, below.
