Promised Land Film
Promised Land Film was founded by Yoruba Richen and focuses on producing nuanced, compelling documentary films that illuminate issues of race, space and power and telling stories that entertain and enlighten us about the vital social issues of our time.
Yoruba’s films are bold and cinematic, while intimately exploring stories from the past and the present that give voice to marginalized communities and compel viewers to take action or think about things in a new way.
Yoruba partners with award-winning producers, cinematographers and editors to produce work for broadcast, theatrical and the Web. She also works with companies and organizations to make bespoke content and her work has been featured on numerous outlets, including Netflix, MSNBC, FX, Hulu, HBO, Peacock and PBS.
Lastest Film
Free Joan Little
How a murder trial galvanized a revolutionary movement.
Free Joan Little tells the story of the 1975 groundbreaking case of Joan Little who was the first woman in U.S history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault. At 20 years old, Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) Little was incarcerated in North Carolina when she killed a white jailer who she said tried to rape her. Her trial drew international attention, becoming a rallying point for civil rights, women’s rights and prison reform. The case brought together activists, including Angela Davis and Rosa Parks, and catalyzed an international conversation about sexual assault and racial justice that has reverberations to this day. With rare archival footage, contemporary interviews and the folk anthem that carried her cause, FREE JOAN LITTLE captures the spirit of resistance that made history.
Donate to our Impact campaign. For the latest information on the film, visit Retro Report or @freejoanlittle.
Speaking
Yoruba is the founding director of the Documentary Program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She has recently been appointed as an Associate Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.
“Yoruba Richen is a critical voice in the nonfiction documentary film industry,” said Dean Graciela Mochkofsky. “We are honored to have her at the helm of this program, inspiring our graduate students, and the rest of her colleagues, with her passion and deep expertise. She is an extraordinary teacher, mentor and leader.”
Yoruba is a featured TED Speaker and her talk, “What the gay rights movement learned from the Civil Rights movement,” has been viewed more than 600,000 times.
As a member of both the African American and LGBT communities, she is fascinated with the overlaps and tensions between the gay rights and the civil rights movements. Richen explores how the two struggles intertwine and propel each other forward — and, in an unmissable argument, she dispels a myth about their points of conflict. A powerful reminder that we all have a stake in equality.
Film Making
Speaking
Content Creation
We create branded content for companies and organizations. We also consult with production companies and organizations on non-fiction content.
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Who we work with
Who we work with