HoneyPeach Productions is building the foundation to film “The Golden Heart of California,” a docu-film chronicling the accomplishments, triumphs, and personal sacrifices of former Congresswoman Diane E. Watson.
Written by critically acclaimed screenwriter Frank Underwood, Jr., the docufilm, will be directed by Bill Duke and narrated by actor Danny Glover. The music composition and score will be produced by Grammy winner Howard Hewett and produced by actress Millena Gay.
Growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, Watson was directly impacted as Black Americans suffered from lynchings, imprisonment, and Jim Crow laws. Adding to the injustice were discriminatory housing policies, substandard healthcare practices, and an overall lack of economic investment into the lives of African Americans. Watson was determined to make a change, and that’s exactly what she did.
According to Underwood, “The thrust is to tell her story, the story of her legendary trek through life. From my point of view, I just want to tell that story. Her story is very auspicious and monumental. She left a fantastic footprint on the political landscape.
“Many have gone before her, even to become great statesmen or stateswomen, but few have a legacy such as hers, and that is the saga that I wish to tell.”
Regarding Watson, Gay said, ““Her story absolutely needs to be told; her legacy must continue, and it must be remembered. The only way that this can happen is if people know about her history; that’s what we are here to do; to make sure that her breathtaking story is told that it is done properly, with excellence, and that it is exposed to as many people as possible.”
She recalled, “I began to take the steps that needed to be done to get started, such as enrolling in a class at UCLA, to make sure that this project was going to be done correctly, and with excellence. I already knew what to do, and how to do it, I wanted to perfect my gift for this very special and monumental project. “
After developing on the title – “The Golden Heart of California” – Gay contacted her industry friends to lend their talents to the initiative and realized that everyone she reached was “happy to be a part of giving her the flower she deserves, while she can enjoy them,” she said.
Those responding in the affirmative included Hewett, Underwood, Glover and Duke, which Gay credited as the favor of God upon the film. “I know that God is in this, because of the assembling of the outstanding team of people that have been put around this project; it is amazing to me,” she insisted.
The positive response also motivated her to concentrate her efforts on producing the project as soon as possible. “The time is right now because she deserves to have her flowers and recognition Now. We don’t have to wait for a certain time,” said the actress and producer.
“Thankfully, we did receive a grant from Concerned Citizens of South-Central Los Angeles (CCSCLA), where Noreen McClendon is the executive director,” she noted.
Gay and McClendon have successfully worked together for over eight years on several projects, including the premier of “American Bad Boy” starring Kat Williams, the premier of “Clarissa’s Gift” directed by Obba Babatunde, The Robey Theatre Company’s production of “The Magnificent Dunbar,” and the music showcase, “Hollywood Indie Nights.
To learn more, visit https://www.honeypeachproductions.com/
“The Golden Heart of California” promo video featuring the honorable Diane E. Watson can be viewed at https://youtu.be/oIy2FN53fck.
