Thursday, February 24, 2011

Short Film - I Am Sean Bell

http://www.bam.org/viewdocument.aspx?did=5284

Interesting short film made about the aftermath of the Sean Bell killing, in which 3 young men, including Sean Bell on the morning after his bachelor party, were shot more than 50 times by a team of both plainclothes and undercover NYPD officers, killing Bell.

The whole situation is confused and it seems that we will never know what really happened and why. This short film examines the impact on young black men in New York city following the event.

I think this is just a preview of the film - you might have to follow the title link below back to Snag Films to see the whole 10 minute film.

Media that Matters

I Am Sean Bell (2010) 10 min

Director/Producer: Stacey Muhammad

Young boys reflect on the Sean Bell tragedy, speaking out about their fears and hopes as they approach manhood

I’ve loved film for as long as I can remember. Initially, screenwriting was my interest; however, I wanted to see my ideas come to life beyond the writing. This led to a desire to acquire the skills needed to actually produce my own projects. So, I embarked upon the journey of studying and learning as much about the filmmaking process as I possibly could by attending film school, workshops, and anything else I could find.

First and foremost, I consider myself an activist, so I’m drawn to human issues and subjects that enlighten and uplift humanity while challenging us to examine our ideals and issues on this planet. I’ve always been drawn to documentary filmmaking, particularly as an activist. It’s a powerful way to communicate with an audience.

When I chose to do the Sean Bell film, I was extremely disturbed by the verdict and wanted to hear from the children, particularly young black boys, about their thoughts, fears and concerns regarding violence against black men. Most of the topics that interest me are those that give a voice to those often unheard populations of people, who indeed have stories to tell and victories to celebrate.

One thing that I’ve learned is that life is what it is—meaning, everything we do and experience is connected. Often, we try to compartmentalize our lives and deal with different aspects of our experience (be it our personal lives, our career, etc.). Filmmaking, for me, is a spiritual process and journey. I’ve been prepared through life experiences, for each and every topic I choose to explore.

So, my advice to any aspiring filmmaker would be to live your life with integrity, take care of yourself, learn as much about your craft as possible, commit to creating the life you desire and expect the universe to grant you everything you ask.





1 comment:

Sage said...

Thank you for this Bill. I will be sharing.