skin. We depend on your memberships and donations. His friend Kevin Myers, who was outside the body Experience 10 years Vice President of Policy & Government Relations Jan 2017 - Present6 years 2 months Boston, MA I lead a team of policy advocates to design and execute strategies at the federal,. In January,Strong Island won the Sundance Film Festival special jury award for storytelling, with Netflix acquiring the film soon after. The film's completion and release (now on Netflix) has dovetailed with his own gender transformation. by the voice of Yance Ford, who, at different moments in the film, reads Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body, didn't deny that. The effect is intense and elegiac, even as the pace veers toward the overly deliberate, and as Mr. Reilly and some essential witnesses arent interviewed or approached by the filmmaker; no explanation for this omission is given. Is 'Operation Fortune' Streaming on HBO Max or Netflix? Strong Island questions whether justice can be found, through the intimate story of the filmmaker's brother who was lost to gun violence, and the family's painful search for answers. reckless youth has been revised as a responsibility of black tutelage, a "Mark Reilly already said everything he had to say to me when he shot and killed my brother." Ford titled "Strong Island" after a hip-hop term for the region that was popularized in the . . I'm afraid that we're going to move backward to a time when we've embraced a punishment mentality to solve everythingnot just crime but everything. "Strong Island" screens at the Performing Arts Center on Saturday, August 12, at 3:30. Strong Island is the story of a black family that could not sustain What I hope doesn't happen is there's focus on my transition and not on the film's very serious issues. The shops owner had a record of running Available on: Netflix. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. he was frightened of Ford, a short but stocky young black man. 2,248, This story has been shared 2,204 times. Sam Fragoso is the host of Talk Easy, a weekly podcast of conversations with filmmakers, writers, musicians, journalists, and, once, his mother. , is the director of the new Netflix documentary "Strong Island," which examines not just the murder but its aftermath including the failure of the criminal justice system and its effects on Ford's family.. Yance Ford was a 19-year-old art student when his brother was killed. Rikers Island, says in Strong Island that she will believe until her 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Episode Guide: How Many Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Will There Be on Disney+? call this an irony. This is also about how the criminal justice system systematically fails people like William, an indictment of the Suffolk County D.A.s failure to indict, and of the wider truth that in this country murder isnt murder if youre a white man who can persuade other white people that your fear of a black man counts as reasonable. Through interviews with Williams mother, Barbara; his sister, Lauren; and his friendsone, a high school classmate named Kevin, was present the night of the shootingYance paints a picture of just how wrong things went. There's not a rhetorical question in the film. Although Ford was unarmed, he . expected the repairs to take. autopsy report. killed, and what happened during the investigation, but also what been shot during a holdup at an A.T.M., and it was William Ford, It's going to change over timeit's going to be different things on different daysbut these families are going to need support. He also regrets the phone call they shared shortly before his death where William describes an earlier confrontation with Reilly at the garage, which culminated with a thrown Corvette door. A 22-year-old black man, William Ford, was shot and killed by a 19-year-old white man, a mechanic named Mark Reilly, after a verbal altercation. I'm not necessarily in a state of transformationI'm just being more public about it, which is a semi-uncomfortable place because I'm a private person. Meet Cleo Anthony, Netflix's 'Money Shot' Documentary Trailer Shines A Harsh Light On Pornhub, The "Most Trafficked Website In The World", 'The Skinny Shot' on Hulu Is An Ozempic "Documentary" That Plays More Like A Commercial, Where Is Estonia Located? return a true bill because her son was a black man. More than twenty years later, the investigating officer on the case Film Reviews. shielded the white youth immediately, never doubting his testimony that The film is a form of justice. It creaks under the weight of the anguish it bears. Strong Island is an American 2017 true-crime documentary film directed by Yance Ford . We were received as folks being informed that an investigation had to be conducted. She later laments her experience testifying in front of the all-white grand jury as they read books and magazines and chatted and otherwise appeared not to be paying any attention to her testimony. picked up and brandished a car door, to some laughter in the shop. It draws a line around your life, she says. To Tell the Story That Tells the Trial: Ulises de la Orden on El juicio. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Strong Island opens up with the mother . In Yance Fords powerful, disturbing, and very personal documentary, not armed, but during the first confrontation at the business he had In April 1992, on Long Island NY, William Ford Jr., a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. If you need social assistance, they're going to drug test you and make you work x amount of hours a week, and it doesn't matter if you don't have childcare. When Dunmore Ford recalls how much she and her husband, William Ford, What have been the most intriguing responses you've heard from audiences? Dunmore Ford her that she was pretty. She was implying that the way that the grand jury process and investigation had been handled was problematic. I don't want to say that I'm not optimistic, but I don't think that optimism is in my toolbox of feelings, honestly. means that she hadnt warned him about what white people could get away Im not surprised that the case didnt go to trial, he says in the first of these self-interviews. sense of the experience of watching Strong Island, in which the visual 2022 International Documentary Association. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. It proved that sometimes people will hear what they want to hear in the way that they want to hear itbut I was able to answer him and ask a question about who he was. happened to the Ford family afterward. mothers ability to do anything, Yance Ford says, and the children were Ever since a cousin of mine was shot and killed not even a month after I moved away from Chicago, I will never not panic whenever I get a call from home, fearing more bad news. A summary of the case gives no comfort one another. S, Welcome to Love Like This?, a romance column where we, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Ineye Komonibo, revisit some of the most romantic or not, in hindsig, Whether its the iconic early-aughts film Love Dont Cost a Thing or her 2021 Netflix hit Resort to Love, Christina Milian has solidified herself in th, This story contains spoilers for Netflixs You People. Mr. Ford had gone there after a dispute over a repair and confronted Mr. Reilly about an insult that was said to have been made earlier to Mr. Fords mother. had a good time, while the parents labored to keep them in Catholic Yet this potent film gives equal weight to complex emotions as well as bare facts. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. He died before Yance There is barely a moment inStrong Island, the Netflix documentary that premieres today, that isnt suffused with anger. . story itself. Bobby Hadid joined the N.Y.P.D. Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-seventh Street, Manhattan. Ad Choices, Actor Graham McTavish Planned a Scottish Castle Wedding for His Bride Garance Dor, 70 Incredible Forgotten Photos From Vintage Oscar Nights, Phil Ohs Best Street Style Photos From the Fall 2023 Shows in Paris. Includes a post-film conversation with Director/Producer Yance Ford, and a reception in The Wine Bar at The Landmark. That includes himself. Fords death, as his grieving mother puts it, was in vain., Twenty-five years later, filmmaker Yance Ford has revisited the details of his older brothers death in a challenging, emotionally stinging documentary. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Early on in the film, Yance Ford says, I am William was unarmed. These Celebrities, Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago. Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. The elderly Jewish women in Brooklyn With Strong Island, first-time director Yance Ford examines the circumstances and aftermath of his brother's 1992 murder.When 24-year-old William Ford, Jr. was shot and killed by a 19-year-old mechanic, Mark Reilly, his family was left confused and dismayed when his killer was allowed to go unprosecuted. Movie:Strong Island Netflix describes Fords film as a deeply intimate and meditative film. Reilly shot Ford through the heart with a rifle but an all-white grand jury, after a less-than-enthusiastic investigation, declined to issue an indictment, and the case died. If Strong Island makes that easier for one family to seek out, then I'll be happy. Triangle of Sadness Ending Explained: Does Abigail Kill Yaya? I think we're going to see a lot of resistance to any rollbacks by DOJ to criminal justice reform, and I hope that Strong Island provides some affirmation to families like Tamir Rice's mom and Trayvon Martin's parents. 852, This story has been shared 793 times. He always knew he wanted to make a film about his brother but it wasn't until 2006 when the silence of his . Strong Island, directed by William's younger brother, Yance Ford, is a document of that murder and of the family that fractured in its wake. All rights reserved. in this film. How Black Lives Matter Is Resisting Trump. Would you like to receive invitations to our screenings? He was killed right outside of his home, and his mother has to look at the spot where her son died every time she sits on her front porch. All Rights Reserved. My gender identity has been something that's been known to me since the day I was born. The vehicle that 24-year-old William Jr. was driving collided with a tow-truck driven by 19-year-old, white Mark Reilly. Will There Be A 'Sex/Life' Season 3 on Netflix? Reilly claimed self-defense. In April 1992, on Long Island NY, William Ford Jr., a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. Nothing comes close to describing how astonishing it is for me, that the world will in some measure come to know my brother., Said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP Original Documentary Programming: Yance Fords intimate retelling of his familys history of love, violence and loss is filtered through such a personal lens that each shot captures the complexity of the films many intersecting threads of race, sexuality, class and gender.. Daniel Hart 1. experience gave her a love of teaching. A grand jury declined to indict Mr. Reilly, a decision that staggered Mr. Fords loved ones. In April 1992 on Long Island, New York, 24-year-old black teacher William Ford Jr. was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19-year-old mechanic. As the title of the film indicates, the events of the film take place on Long Island, New York, where in April of 1992, William Ford Jr., a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19-year-old mechanic after a series of arguments that began with a fender-bender. The 1967 film Guess Whos Coming to Dinner starred Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton as a ne, Tessa Thompson Talks Going To Couples Therapy With Michael B. Jordan. Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body in Central Islip, New York, where Ford's girlfriend's car was being serviced. The great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford I, Ford joined the board in 1988 and has served as chairman since January 1999. Who married John Ford's daughter? Ford was unarmed, Reilly brandished a rifle, and the teenagerwho had an extensive criminal recordtook one shot at Ford, piercing him in the heart. check on the car. physical threat they were. There's your semi-public life and your private life. In spite of no evidence to suggest that Yance's brother was dangerous, a Grand Jury determined that the homicide was an act of self-defence. actor Ken Curtis William Ford, a black man, was shot and killed at the age of 24 by a 19-year-old mechanic named Mark Reilly, at the auto shop where Ford's girlfriend's car was being repaired. When we realize that punishing doesn't work and that justice ought to be about restorationthat the civil institutions of our justice system should work equally for everyone. Reilly was never brought to trial. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WatchDocumentaries.com | Games | Quizzes | Contact |Privacy & Terms | Manage Cookies |Advertise | DMCA, After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News. unfamiliar car that often parked across the street from their house, and William Ford, a 24-year-old African American who taught mathematics, was killed on April 7, 1992 in Central Islip. The entire feature is a personal journey for the filmmaker, who has had to endure years of pain because of their brother's death, which has received no justice at all despite the seemingly obvious murder. And In all its glory, Strong Island is as intimate as documentaries get. Im not going to do that., That slam-the-door-in-your-face attitude characterized much of the investigation into Williams death. In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and killed during a dispute with a 19-year-old auto mechanic named Mark Reilly. STRONG ISLAND, 2017. . trying to establish what happened the night that William Ford, Jr., was Reilly had been recruited by Thomas Datre who ran an auto repair garage called Super Stang within five blocks of Yance's house. inside themselves, away from family connection. On Sept. 15, Netflix dropped new documentary Strong Island, . . . Those are Dunmore Ford There is little here in the way of catharsis, but theres a sense that talking beats back the loudness of absence. When I say, "How do you measure the distance of reasonable fear?," it's a real question. Mr. Ford had gone there after a dispute. Not the white-hot rage that explodes off the screen or even the crusading anger that can sometimes galvanize groups of people. As Yance His autopsy report read: The body is that of a well-developed obese black male. We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. When I spoke with Yance by phone, he was a mix of overwhelmed and composed. Many, many times I wonder: How could I be so wrong?, Strong Island, as messy as the mess left in Williams wake, leaves many threads loose, many elements unresolved. I'm afraid that our civil society is being torn apart bit by bitand not just by tweets and ridiculous statements about good people on both sides. 793, This story has been shared 758 times. Reilly had My father just believed in my I enjoyed my brother the hero, and a month or so later, that hero was dead. The films most affecting moment comes when Barbara, a principal who believed above all in the power of education, who inculcated in her children a sense that the world was fundamentally fair, declares: I did William a great disservice in raising him how we did. He regrets not coming out to his brother before he died, not being able to show him who he really was. if youre uncomfortable with me asking these questions, you should You're going to be punished for wanting to serve as a transgender [person], for wanting to have equal treatment if you're queer, if you want equal pay if you're a woman. teen-age sons, the one that tries to prepare them as young black males The Landmark, Westside Pavilion Mall, 10850 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90064. Were Strong Island a strict procedural, that exclusion would be more glaring. Respectful attention must be paid, because grief is in the room. Yances shattered reaction to this that the phone call he had already felt years and years of guilt about was indeed to blame for his brother being denied justice is something you wont soon forget. Review: Strong Island Explores a Killing and Its Aftermath, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/movies/strong-island-review.html, Barbara Dunmore Ford, the mother of William Ford Jr., in an old family photo, as seen in the documentary Strong Island.. I hope now that the film's on Netflix, people will stop looking to me for their questions and start asking themselves questions. STRONG ISLAND chronicles the arc of the Ford family; Barbara Dunmore, William Ford and their three children, and how their lives have been shaped by the enduring dont run. Its a talk rooted in black history, and Yance Ford has directed a movie about the death of his brother that distills this kind of frustration into something heartbreaking, but thats what makes it a vital and powerful film. For ten years Ford was privileged to work as Series Producer for the PBS showcase POV and where his curatorial work helped garner more than 16 Emmy nominations. 2,623, This story has been shared 2,555 times. Told in a straightforward manner with formal interviews, Strong Island explores the details of the case, the lives of William Ford and the mechanic, nineteen-year-old Mark P. Reilly, Reillys claim of self-defense, and why the Suffolk County, New York grand jury, who were all-white, decided to not indict Reilly for the crime, are covered step-by-step in dramatic detail. assured Yance Ford, the director of Strong Island, that he had left no stone unturned at the time; it was just an unfortunate thing.. are gripping in everything they say. 'Strong Island' director Yance Ford talks about his powerful new documentary and his fears for the future. to speak of it, even to the self. But when he questioned the forces tactics, his life began to erode. We get the feeling that parts of them retreated Dunmore Ford, an educator who founded Rosewood, a school for women on Detectives seemed only interested in asking the friend how much he The subsequent police investigation ended at the grand jury phase, after said grand jury declined to press charges against Reilly. Utilizing a creative mixture of traditional and non-traditional documentary approaches, Ford also investigates what really happened the night his brother died, a question that is foregrounded as significant for personal reasons yet ultimately not the entire point. narrative, put together with subtlety and refinement, unfolds from the It recounts the murder of Yance Ford's older brother William in 1992. Strong Island investigates the killing of Ford's brother, William, in 1992 in Central Islip, NY. You know what it means to live a life where you have to map the airports that have family bathrooms so you can go into a restroom and not feel either endangered because people can be violent if they think that you're a short gay manor if women in the ladies room think that you're a man in the women's room and call the cops? Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance', Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me' On HBO Max, Making The Oscars Slap All About Him, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Triangle of Sadness' on Hulu, Ruben Ostlund's Skewering of the Moneyed Elite. Reilly, who is white, was arrested for manslaughter. The tragedy left the Fords in some deep way unable to motorman, working the But its actually a far more personal, probing project, less a relitigation than a reckoning, less a procedural than a film about the Sisyphean task of processing terrible grief. Throughout the documentary, Yance turns the camera on himself, framing his face from chin to forehead in extreme, inescapable close-up. 1,060, This story has been shared 947 times. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. When the data is really there to substantiate the claims of mistreatment and unequal treatment in the criminal justice system for decades. There was also a young man in Toronto who asked me how I could reconcile Mark Reilly's fear with my brother's behavior. These Romantic Movies Are Guaranteed To Make You Cry, The Greatest Romantic Comedies That Youll Watch On Repeat, The Hottest Movie Sex Scenes, Ever (NSFW), The Best Part Of Snapchat? 'Mandalorian' Funko Pops up to 77% Off Baby Yoda and More for Season 3, Who Plays the Armorer in 'The Mandalorian'? eighties, Polaroids that have turned into a family archive. The generational exchange that was once Yance Fords hands shuffling the photographs, laying them out, and Yance Watch Strong Island (2017) online. I'm fearful and, frankly, angry that our justice department seems hell-bent on rolling back the very late criminal justice reforms that happened toward the end of Barack Obama's second term. findings that, afraid for his life, he had shot Ford in self-defense. Because I felt that they were going to say, here is another black woman who didnt do her job with her child, and now she wants us to make somebody pay., The filmmaker and his mother both find opportunities to blame themselves for Williams loss (The madness that is my brothers death would drive me mad if I werent able to hold myself accountable for at least a small part of it, Yance explains). And I hated that moment. "Strong Island" tells the story of William Ford Jr., a 24-year-old African-American who was shot by Mark Reilly, a white car mechanic, during a dispute over repairs. William Ford had no record and was about to take the Strong Island are: Barbara Dunmore Ford, Lauren Ford, and Yance Ford Netflix/Strong Island The Fords had moved to Long Island from. In the second installment of a political discussion series with the Public Theatre, David Remnick examines the future of Black Lives Matter with the activist Brittany Packnett. He keeps the camera closely trained on the faces of those whove suffered emotional wounds that wont heal, and who live with regrets that are devastating. Yance's journey (I can use it) has been a long one. William, an unarmed, black 24-year-old teacher, was slain by Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old white man who was working at an auto body shop on Long Island. This story has been shared 3,511 times. Studio Screen: Strong Island Sunday, December 17, 2017 4:00 PM 7:00 PM Maysles Cinema 343 Lenox Avenue New York, NY, 10027 United States (map) Google Calendar ICS Buy Tickets Facebook Event Yance Ford, 2017, 97 min In the spring of 1992, William Ford Jr. was murdered by a young white mechanic named Mark Reilly.
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