Cassius X: Becoming Ali

On March 6, 1964, just 10 days after becoming heavyweight champion of the world, Cassius Clay officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali. While the news came as a shock to many, Ali’s interest in Islam began five years earlier, before his gold medal win at the 1960 Olympics. Based on the acclaimed book by Stuart Cosgrove, this film explores the seminal years in Ali’s life when his public pursuit of a boxing title coincided with a secret spiritual journey, nurtured by the Nation of Islam’s most prominent figures, Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X.