A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks

{{Short description|2021 documentary film}}

{{More citations needed|date=November 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox film

| name =

| image = A Choice of Weapons.jpg

| caption = Official poster

| alt = A man holds a camera lens over one eye

| director = John Maggio

| producer = {{Plainlist|

• John Maggio
• Monica Berra
• Richard Lowe
• Teddy Kunhardt
• George Kunhardt
• Matthew Henderson

}}

| writer =

| starring =

| music = Gary Lionelli

| cinematography = {{Plainlist|

• Joe Arcidiacono
• Clair Popkin

}}

| editing = Richard Lowe

| production_companies = {{Plainlist|

• HBO Documentary Films
• Ark Media

}}

| distributor = HBO

| released = {{Film date|2021|6|18|Tribeca}}

| runtime = 89 minutes{{cite web|url=https://tribecafilm.com/films/choice-of-weapons-inspired-by-gordon-parks-2021|title=A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks|website=Tribeca Film Festival|access-date=May 29, 2021}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks is a 2021 documentary film that follows the life of the photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks. Its title derives from Parks’ 1967 autobiography.{{Cite news|last=Rapold|first=Nicolas|date=2021-11-16|title='A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks' Review: Defining Portraits|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/16/movies/a-choice-of-weapons-inspired-by-gordon-parks-review.html|access-date=2021-11-19|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite book|last=Parks|first=Gordon|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1062195927|title=A choice of weapons|date=2016|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |isbn=978-0-87351-769-0|language=English|oclc=1062195927}} The film features Devin Allen, Jelani Cobb, Anderson Cooper, Ava DuVernay, Nelson George, Jamel Shabazz, Spike Lee, and LaToya Ruby Frazier.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-16|title='He's inspired so many of us': how Gordon Parks changed photography|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/nov/16/gordon-parks-documentary-hbo-photography|access-date=2021-11-19|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

It was directed and produced by John Maggio for HBO Documentary Films; Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz served as executive producers. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 18, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://tribecafilm.com/news/announcing-the-feature-film-lineup-for-tribeca-2021|title=Announcing The Feature Film Lineup For Tribeca 2021|publisher=Tribeca Film Festival|date=April 20, 2021|accessdate=November 16, 2021}}

At the 43rd News and Documentary Emmy Awards the project received three nominations, including Best Documentary and Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.