Event

Doc Watchers Presents: I am Sean Bell, Little Brother, & Four Our Sons

On the heels of the Trayvon Martin shooting, Doc Watchers Presents three short films exploring what it means to be young, black and male in America today. Followed by a Q&A with directors of all the films and a reception.

"I Am Sean Bell"
(Stacey Muhammad, 2009, 11 min.)
Black boys (between the ages of 11 and 13), along with their parents, speak about the brutal murder of Sean Bell by police officers, the effect it has had on their communities, and their heartbreaking fear, spurned by growing up as young black men in our racist society, of Sean Bell's fate someday being theirs.

"Little Brother: Things Fall Apart"
(Nicole Franklin & Jasmin Tiggett, 2008, 18 min.)
The first installment of a documentary film series dedicated to giving Black boys a unique voice. Set in Camden, New Jersey, well-known as one of the nation's most dangerous cities, the film takes a look at boys growing up amongst extreme violence, poverty and crime, and explores their feelings on love and relationships set against impossible odds.

"For Our Sons (Young, Black & Male in America)"
(Vanz Chapman & Eric McKay, 2007, 86 min.)
This groundbreaking documentary consists of powerful interviews with Black men from different walks of life, men who have "been through the fire" of growing up in the oftentimes hostile inner cities. Through their stories of strength and perseverance, "For Our Sons" offers a hopeful and reflective outlook for many fatherless black boys who are in danger of becoming a statistic.

Part of Doc Watchers at the Maysles Cinema, curated by Hellura Lyle of Doc Watchers, a Harlem, community-based documentary film screening club and series. Every first Monday of the month.