Two-time WNBA champion Renee Montgomery is sharing her journey from growing up in West Virginia to balling her way all the way into co-owning the Atlanta Dream women’s basketball team in her upcoming documentary, “A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery.”
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response to the documentary, especially the most recent premiere at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival,” Montgomery said in a statement to TheWrap. “It’s hard to believe your own story can impact others’ lives in such a positive way and I’m humbled by all the people that have told me how they’ve related to my journey.”
The Roku Original documentary, which is produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted and P&G Studios, is directed by Emmy award-winning Sandrine Orabona (“The New West Coast Sound: An L.A. Jazz Legacy”) and spotlights Montgomery’s momentous career achievements, including winning her two titles with the Minnesota Lynx and her transition to the WNBA c-suite.
“P&G Studios was thrilled to continue our ongoing partnership with Uninterrupted to tell a powerful story about women breaking glass ceilings and charting new territories that can foster relevant connections with P&G brands, and Renee’s story was a perfect complement for Mielle, the leading Black-founded and women-led beauty brand and official textured haircare brand of the WNBA,” vice president of Global Marketing & Media Innovation at Procter & Gamble Eric Austin said.
Here’s Roku’s synopsis of the film: “This new feature documentary is an intimate portrait of Renee and the experiences that formed her character, from growing up in West Virginia to winning a national title at the University of Connecticut, then going on to capture two WNBA titles with the Minnesota Lynx. The documentary follows Renee’s transition from player to front office and reflects how family and community helped turn Renee’s integrity into a game-changer.”
“There are few athletes who have championships under their belt in high school, college, and the WNBA. But when Renee became the first former WNBA player to hold a team ownership stake and an executive role with the league, she immediately became the epitome of our ‘More Than an Athlete’ mantra,’” Uninterrupted added.
“A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery” is produced by Uninterrupted in association with Storyform, P&G Studios and the WNBA. Montgomery, James, Carter, Austin, Jamal Henderson, Philip Byron, Stephanie Acevedo and Kimberly Doebereiner serve as executive producers. Camille Maratchi serves as co-executive producer.
Check out some first-look photos from the doc, as well as some remarks from Orabona, below:
“Atlanta is such an important part of Renee’s life and the film. It was crucial we draw attention to the city, its importance to the civil rights movement as well as present day Black Americans. This bridge and overlook are classic Atlanta and a part of its culture. So much so that the location appeared in many music videos and films over the last several decades,” Orabona said.
“We were filming the vignette for the emotional crescendo of the film. When I first saw the archival material Renee and [wife Sirena Grace] shared with us from 2020, one moment that stood out was a Juneteenth pop-up block party Renee organized right after she had opted out. I knew this would be a great opportunity to match cut the drumline with the same drummers in a vignette and bring to life all the different turbulent emotions that were happening for Renee and Sirena at the time — not knowing what the future would hold — as well as the themes of Black Excellence we had already set up in the film,” she continued.
“Renee’s trailblazing is not simply limited to her activism and ownership. She is breaking barriers in the way she approaches her sports commentary and how she presents herself on camera. A little easter egg here — the basketball you see here is the same basketball Renee played with in her driveway as a child. It’s a metaphor for how her foundation follows her throughout her life,” Orabona concluded.
“A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery” premieres this fall on Roku.
