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“I must be allowed
to tell everything…before I was accused of murder,
before my family was ripped apart…”
With
these words, Valerie Maas (AUNJANUE ELLIS) begins
to relate the story of her dream life that slowly
darkened into a nightmare. Held in a police interrogation
room, facing off against a jaded, veteran detective
(LOUIS GOSSETT, JR.) and a slick D.A. (CLIFTON DAVIS)
itching for a collar, Valerie recounts the recent
events of her life: the relocation of her family from
Atlanta to Philadelphia, enabling her husband, Dutch
(RAZ ADOTI), to take a better job as a hospital psychiatrist;
her role as a co-breadwinner and commercial photographer
now reduced to that of full-time housewife and part-time
portraitist for her friend, Zahara Milton (VIVICA
A. FOX); her reunion with Dutch's old college buddies
Kevin and Monica Wilson (ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH and
PAULA JAI PARKER) and Ryan Chambers (LEON), providing
instant entrée into Philadelphia's upper echelon
African-American community; and the welcome reception
she receives at Mercy Baptist Church from Reverend
and Mrs. Dunn (JOHNNIE HOBBS, JR. and KAREN VICKS).
Quickly,
Dutch, Valerie and their daughter, Nicole (TOMORROW
MONTGOMERY), settle into life in their newly adopted
city. When Kevin Wilson provides Dutch with the down
payment on a Chestnut Hill mansion, no questions are
raised. Their dreams are indeed starting to become
reality. It all seems almost too good to be true…
Then,
Valerie's unflappable trust in Dutch begins to waiver—why
is he having to work longer hours? Why is he suddenly
unavailable during random times of the day? Zahara
raises concerns in Valerie, who isn't calmed at all
by the Monday night discussions of her Women's Faith
Fellowship: dealing with infidelity in marriage. Zahara
takes matters into her own hands and follows Dutch,
later producing compromising photographs of him with
another woman, and Valerie's mind becomes clouded
with suspicion. Soon, an unexpected tip-off results
in a shattering discovery that threatens to destroy
Valerie and everything that she holds dear. With a
New Year's Eve shooting resulting in murder, Valerie
now finds herself as the prime suspect, with only
her strength of character and her stalwart faith to
help her escape alive from this unthinkable ordeal.
A
taut thriller with a social conscience, “Cover”
also stars RICHARD GANT as Robert Maas, MYA HARRISON
as Cynda, VICTORIA PLATT TILFORD as Charlotte, PATTI
LaBELLE as Mrs. Persons and CLAYTON PRINCE as Greg,
as well as others.
The
film is directed by BILL DUKE, with a screenplay by
AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS (based on a screenplay by ALIYA
JACKSON). The film is produced by COREY REDMOND, WARREN
KOHLER and BILL DUKE, and executive-produced by MICHAEL
A. DiMANNO and R. SCOTT REID.
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