The Loving Story

Coincidence sometimes seems like destiny’s apt commentary. The surname of a couple, Caucasian Richard and half Afro American, half Native American Mildred, is an example. They became Mr. and Mrs. Loving in 1958, at a time when their native state Virginia still prohibited interracial marriage. They managed to bypass the law by getting married in a different state, which did not prevent them from being arrested after returning home. The litigation resulted in their forced exile, which lasted nine long years. It was not until a Supreme Court decision that the Loving v. Virginia case was resolved. It has become a precedent for many other cases all over the United States. It is among the dramatic events of the turbulent 1960s, which have permanently entered cultural history as the time of the fight for civil rights and freedom. The creators particularly make use of period photographs and audiovisual material that captures the course of the court case, while enabling us to look into the Lovings’ private life. The aim is to make the story current and topical; the fight between love and the demands for “racial purity.” (Academia Film Olomouc)