The Best of Enemies: New film tells story of desegregation in Durham

That true story is now the focus of a major motion picture, "The Best of Enemies," which is inspired by a book of the same title. Both tackle the topic of racial tension, specifically tension in Durham. Desegregating schools is the landscape under which "The Best of Enemies" was born.

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Angela Lee, executive director of Durham's Hayti Heritage Center, said the two central figures in the story first regarded each other as enemies.

Ann Atwater was a single mom and community activist, and Claiborne Paul Ellis, better known as C.P. Ellis, was a devoted father and KKK leader.

"C.P. Ellis was a 'grand cyclops.' Violence could have erupted and just gotten way out of hand," Lee said. "But they became fast friends. Schools would be desegregated whether folks liked it or not -- and it was just a matter of how willing you were to be part of a smooth transition."

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrover with the Ann Atwater Freedom Library hopes this film will inspire a new generation facing similar divisions.

"That fusion of politics, of, you know, poor black people and poor white folks coming together is really what happened in this story," Wilson-Hartgrover said. "I think 'The Best of Enemies' offers a glimpse of what is possible for American democracy -- to build a better society for everyone."

Ellis died in 2005, while Ann Atwater died three years ago.

"The Best of Enemies" premieres April 5 nationwide. Special screenings of the movie at the Carolina Theater in Durham next week are already sold out.