Up and Away

Up Up and Away tells the soaring true story of BESSIE COLEMAN, the first Black American woman to earn her pilot's license, defying twin barriers of racism and sexism in the early 20th century.Born in rural Texas to a family of sharecroppers, Bessie grows up with fierce ambition and an unshakeable sense of self-worth. In the booming, segregated streets of 1920s Chicago, she works as a manicurist, where a chance conversation with a returning soldier sparks her obsession with flight. But no flight school in America will accept a Black woman. Determined, Bessie learns French, raises funds from Black businessmen and community leaders, and sails to France. There, at the prestigious Caudron Brothers School of Aviation, she trains with elite pilots and earns her license in 1921 - becoming an international sensation.Returning to the U.S., she uses air shows not just to perform daredevil stunts, but to inspire Black audiences and push for equality. Bessie dreams of opening a flight school for Black aviators, but struggles to raise support in a racially divided America. Her refusal to perform for segregated audiences makes her both a hero and a controversial figure. The film climaxes with her final flight in 1926 - a moment of triumph and tragedy. Up Up and Away is a sweeping, emotionally powerful portrait of a woman who aimed for the skies when the ground beneath her was set against her. It is a story of courage, vision, and legacy.