The mockumentary Taste the Revolution, crafted by Daniel Klein and featuring Mahershala Ali in his first lead role, premiered after a 25-year delay at the New Orleans Film Festival in October. According to The Hollywood Reporter it is now being showcased at the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF). During a Q&A in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Klein shared insights into the film's prolonged journey. The narrative follows Ali as revolutionary leader Mac Laslow, orchestrating a summit of young adults intent on global change, all documented by two filmmakers. Colin Trevorrow appears in minor roles and serves as an executive producer.
"Taste the Revolution," Klein's first feature film, was completed in 2001 but delayed after 9/11. During the COVID pandemic, Klein and his team edited the footage into a movie. Produced by Phil Cohen, Maury Loeb, David Linke, and Kevin Linke, with Ali, Klein, Trevorrow, and Cohen as executive producers, the cast features Alexander Bilu, Jeremy Dubin, Jen Nails, Jeremy Beiler, and Amatus Sami-Karim. Klein met Ali in school and invited him to join the project, initially envisioning him in a different role.
Ali suggested leading the group instead, insisting on auditioning, and delivered a transcendent performance. Klein admitted he was initially creating a comedy without clear direction, but Ali's involvement elevated the project. After 9/11, the film seemed irrelevant, and Klein created a flawed version for the cast and crew, feeling humiliated but obligated to honor their unpaid efforts, and shelved the movie. After Ali won two Oscars, Klein sent him a clip from the movie, prompting Ali to say, "We need to finish this movie." During the COVID pandemic, the team reviewed the film's 130 hours of footage.
After completing his new edit, he presented it to Ali, Sami-Karim, and others in California. Despite concerns of it seeming outdated, someone noted, "This movie will always be relevant because it's about a life chapter people experience, not the time it was filmed," Klein recounted. Trevorrow played a character who introduces camp groups, takes drugs, and becomes an overdose victim. From the start, Trevorrow was involved, providing extensive feedback on the script and helping direct background B roll, which was invaluable. Klein clarified that Ali did not invest money in the movie, but his support and enthusiasm were validating.