It still feels oddly rare to see Black road movies. There are a couple of famous ones spanning genres like John Singleton’s swooning romance Poetic Justice or the comedic Johnson Family Vacation. But in total there are very few. Filmed in Champaign, Urbana, Albany Road, which had its World Premiere at Ebert Fest 2024, is writer/director Christine Swanson’s attempt to expand the genre through a touching two-handed road movie about an advertising executive named Celeste (Renée Elise Goldsberry) embarking with Paula (Lynn Whitfield) from New York to DC to attend an important presentation that looms large over the fate of Celeste’s company. Swanson hopped on Zoom to speak to her star, Renée Elise Goldsberry, about the actress/singer’s career and their latest collaboration, “Albany Road.” Watch the video below.
