Dramatic photo of actor Mark Povinelli portraying Benjamin Lay, looking pensively at the camera with a blank wall and light from a window behind him.
A New Documentary by Tony Buba and Marcus Rediker
View the Trailer:
The documentary Becoming Benjamin Lay by director Tony Buba and historian Marcus Rediker explores the life and ideas of an unknown radical Quaker dwarf abolitionist who demanded an end to slavery almost 300 years ago. At the center of the film is the prize-winning play Rediker wrote with Naomi Wallace, The Return of Benjamin Lay. Actor Mark Povinelli embodies the visionary Lay, challenging us to live with courage and conviction in dark times. The film brings a forgotten hero back to modern public memory.
Upcoming Screenings:
- World Premiere: Saturday, April 11, 4 PM
Carnegie Library in Braddock, PA, USA
Co-sponsored by Film Pittsburgh - April 15, 2026
53rd Athens International Film + Video Festival
Athens, OH, USA - April 17, 2026
Quakers in Britain
Friends House London, UK - April 23, 2026
Bristol Radical History Festival 2026
Friends Meeting House, Bristol, UK - April 23, 2026
34th Arizona International Film Festival
Tuscon, AZ, USA
The film asks the viewer, what kind of resistance is within you and how can you use it to take action?
Educational Resources
- Study Guide for the play, The Return of Benjamin Lay
Written by Erica Stevens Abbitt on behalf of the Playground Creatures Theatre Company in New York
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