‘Maxine’s Baby’, Film documenting Tyler Perry and his late mother coming to Amazon Prime

Mikaela Thomas
·2 min read
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Atlanta media mogul Tyler Perry is sharing his personal story in a documentary on Amazon Prime.

“Maxine’s Baby”, the Tyler Perry story, which was his mother’s name, was shot over ten years and produced by his former girlfriend Geilila Bekele and Armani Ortiz.

Channel 2′s Karyn Greer had a chance to talk to them about what they really want people to know about the filmmaker’s troubled and dark past, his rise to fame, and his future, which includes his son Aman.

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Channel 2 Action News was there for the historic opening of the new Tyler Perry Studios in October 2019. Little did we know but work was already being done to document his life for the world to see.

Bekele is an independent filmmaker, she and Perry became a couple and parents during the making of the documentary.

“I started from a personal space wanting to document this man who’s becoming busier than ever around the end of 2014. And how to explain to someone what it looks like for someone to acquire an army base and turn it into a major motion picture studio,” she said. “On top of that he was touring, directing, producing, writing, you know, the TV and films, not wanting to miss anything, and just wanted to archive. And again, I believe history is, you know, nothing but the history of great men and women. And I think he’s one of them.”

(L-R) Tyler Perry and Gelila Bekele attend the special screening of
(L-R) Tyler Perry and Gelila Bekele attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Crystal Renee Hayslett attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Crystal Renee Hayslett attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Jesseca Harris-Dupart and Da Brat attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Jesseca Harris-Dupart and Da Brat attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Eric Sasso and Armani Ortiz attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Eric Sasso and Armani Ortiz attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Jesseca Harris-Dupart and Da Brat attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Jesseca Harris-Dupart and Da Brat attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Keisha Lance Bottoms and Sylvia Robinson (C) attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Keisha Lance Bottoms and Sylvia Robinson (C) attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gelila Bekele attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gelila Bekele attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gelila Bekele attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gelila Bekele attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Recording artist Spice attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Recording artist Spice attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Guests attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Guests attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Kenny Burns, Tyler Perry, Armani Ortiz and Gelila Bekele speak onstage during the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Kenny Burns, Tyler Perry, Armani Ortiz and Gelila Bekele speak onstage during the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Toya Johnson attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Toya Johnson attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Ashante White, Jasmine K. White, Gelila Bekele, Armani Ortiz and Eric Sasso attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Ashante White, Jasmine K. White, Gelila Bekele, Armani Ortiz and Eric Sasso attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Eva Marcille attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Eva Marcille attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Armani Ortiz attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Armani Ortiz attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Kenny Burns, Gelila Bekele, and Armani Ortiz speak onstage during the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Kenny Burns, Gelila Bekele, and Armani Ortiz speak onstage during the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Kenny Burns attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Kenny Burns attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: R.L. Huggar and Lena Huggar attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: R.L. Huggar and Lena Huggar attend the special screening of
(L-R) Gelila Bekele, Tyler Perry and Armani Ortiz attend the special screening of
(L-R) Gelila Bekele, Tyler Perry and Armani Ortiz attend the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gary Hayes attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gary Hayes attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Oshea Russell, Michael Bolwaire, Eva Marcille and Keith Swift attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Oshea Russell, Michael Bolwaire, Eva Marcille and Keith Swift attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: DeVon Franklin attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: DeVon Franklin attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gelila Bekele attends the special screening of
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 08: Gelila Bekele attends the special screening of
(L-R) Tyler Perry and Gelila Bekele attend the special screening of
(L-R) Tyler Perry and Gelila Bekele attend the special screening of

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Co-producer Armani Ortiz wants people to know the iconic Tyler Perry, but this time from in front of the camera lens.

“I really hope that they see themselves in it. I hope that they’d know that Tyler Perry’s iconic story is an amazing thing, but also he came from where we came from,” Ortiz said. “And he’s giving opportunities to people that may have never even dreamed of having an opportunity. So hopefully when they see him with their families, they say, ‘Hey, you can do that, too. You can do that too.’”

The documentary kicks off on Amazon Prime on Friday.

Bekele said she and Perry will always be family and plans may be in the works to document his next 20 years on film once again.

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