The Trials of Muhammad Ali
Film
by Bill Siegel
Details
USA / 2014 / 92mins / Documentary / English
The Trials of Muhammad Ali covers the explosive crossroads of Ali’s life. When Cassius Clay becomes Muhammad Ali, his conversion to Islam and refusal to serve in the Vietnam War leave him banned from boxing and facing a five-year prison sentence. Ali’s choice of belief and conscience over fame and fortune resonates far beyond the boxing ring, striking issues of race, faith and identity that continue to confront us all today.
Trailer
About the Director
Bill Siegel
Bill Siegel was an award-winning documentary filmmaker with more than 20 years of experience in documentary filmmaking and education. He co-directed the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Weather Underground; was a researcher on the documentary films Muhammad Ali: The Whole Story and Hoop Dreams; and was a writer on One Love, a documentary on the cultural history of basketball by Leon Gast (When We Were Kings). Siegel was vice president of school programs for the Great Books Foundation, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to literacy and lifelong learning. He passed away in December 2018. Learn More
