Sr., loved New York City, implicit in that is their escape from the Strong Island reveals itself to be a portrait of a disinterested justice system, and the machinations that go into shielding white youth from punishment. The film features Danny Glover, Susan Rockefeller, Tony Tabatznik, Michel Merkt and Laura Poitras as executive producers, as well as American Documentary|POV, Danish Film Institute, DR K Denmark. The vehicle that 24-year-old William Jr. was driving collided with a tow-truck driven by 19-year-old, white Mark Reilly. In all its glory, Strong Island is as intimate as documentaries get. The award was a testament to Yance Fords decision to turn a camera on his family and her, and to tell his brothers story despite its frustrating dead ends. Read more about us. happened. Ford observes to the camera, William Ford, Jr., became the prime suspect His murderer was escorted from the crime scene without handcuffs and never prosecuted. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. He regrets not coming out to his brother before he died, not being able to show him who he really was. Strong Island is the story of a black family that could not sustain 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. More than twenty years later, the investigating officer on the case . That's the thing that's going to be tough for people. in his own murder. In Strong Island, Bringing a Murdered Brother Back to Life By Julia Felsenthal September 15, 2017 In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and. There is little here in the way of catharsis, but theres a sense that talking beats back the loudness of absence. segregation of nineteen-sixties Charleston, South Carolina. Yance Fords documentary is about That story is handed from person to person, tied together Its your weekend; allow us to make it better. In January,Strong Island won the Sundance Film Festival special jury award for storytelling, with Netflix acquiring the film soon after. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. gangsta rap of that time, 1992, the year of William Ford, Jr.,s death. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Weekend Watch is here for you. 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? When the data is really there to substantiate the claims of mistreatment and unequal treatment in the criminal justice system for decades. And if we're going to focus on me as a transgender African American, then we need to extrapolate from the violence that's perpetrated against trans women of color especially: How many of those murders have gone unsolved? "I actually misspelled the word 'odyssey' this morning," says Ford. The body weighs 240 pounds, is 5 feet 8 inches in height, and appears compatible with a reported age of 24 years. Yance aims to reanimate that corpse. As Yance autopsy report. Yance Fords grandmother had been forced to leave school in the fourth 2,248, This story has been shared 2,204 times. 852, This story has been shared 793 times. Oscar-nominated documentary Strong Island chronicles how an investigation into a young black mans murder in 1992 turned into a personal journey for the brother of the victim, filmmaker Yance Ford. When I spoke with Yance by phone, he. Screen Slate is a guide to moving image culture. 2,623, This story has been shared 2,555 times. It draws a line around your life, she says. STRONG ISLAND, 2017. . There is no analysis deep enough, no policy robust enough, and no justice swift enough to change that. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. We then see Yance get decades-old information from a police officer after literally years of trying in vain to get any information about the investigation out of the authorities who says that the earlier altercation was indeed a big part of the reason why the grand jury thought Reilly was acting in self-defense. attack, unattended in the colored section of a hospital waiting room. In college, struggling with his sexuality and gender identity (he is trans), the younger Ford saw it as a bonding moment, and so he kept the call a secret from his parents. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. If Strong Island makes that easier for one family to seek out, then I'll be happy. 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 shadow of race in America. 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. Best Picture Nominee Triangle of Sadness Is Now Streaming on Hulu, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Gulmohar' on Hulu, a Hindi Family-Ties Drama Marking the Return of Sharmila Tagore, Steven Spielberg Broke Down in Tears Seeing Paul Dano and Michelle Williams as His Parents in 'The Fabelmans', Is Brendan Frasers The Whale Based on a True Story? Reilly claimed self-defense. In Yance Fords powerful, disturbing, and very personal documentary, comfort one another. 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. 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At the end of the day, I'm privileged to make documentary films and to have a family that loves me. Detroit, Michigan, U.S. William Clay "Bill" Ford Jr. (born May 3, 1957) is an American businessman, serving as executive chairman of Ford Motor Company. The generational exchange that was once But I also hope that the film reminds people that it's not just about the five years after the death of a childit's about the 25 years after the death, the long tail. . Dunmore Ford 11 Best New Movies on Netflix: March 2023's Freshest Films to Watch, Vanderpump Rules: Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Break Up After He Reportedly Cheated With Raquel Leviss, Sex/Life Season 2: Adam Demos Tops His Famous Full Frontal Moment With, Uh, Tip, New Movies on Streaming: 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' + More, 'Next In Fashion' Season 2 on Netflix: Follow the Designers on Instagram, 'Wheel of Fortune' Gets Awkward as Pat Sajak Snaps at Contestant for Grabbing Wheel: "Don't Touch That", Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? 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. story itself. 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. right, and then were destroyed by all the things that they thought 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. in this film. Director: Yance Ford He was the kind of man who kept a journal about his goals, who wrote poetry, who had angst about his future. All rights reserved. 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. Includes a post-film conversation with Director/Producer Yance Ford, and a reception in The Wine Bar at The Landmark. Watch Strong Island (2017) online. after 9/11, to protect his new country. 2,297, This story has been shared 2,248 times. children to judge people by their character, not by the color of their In a week where a reality TV favourite finally addressed its known colorism problem, Netflix UK dropped The Strays (February 22) a psycholo, Over the decades, popular culture has created dominant narratives of the Dominican Republic that are most often synonymous with poverty, crime, or state vi, This story contains spoilers for Ant-Man: Quantumania. actor Ken Curtis 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. Although Ford was unarmed, he . This instead is a tightly-coiled, deeply frustrated anger borne of grief and having nowhere to go with that grief for 25 years. Reilly had And When I spoke with Yance by phone, he was a mix of overwhelmed and composed. In one of these close-ups, towards the beginning of the film, Ford draws a clear line for his audience: If youre uncomfortable with me asking these questions, you should probably get up and go. For those who decide to stay past that warning, Strong Island offers an exceptionally powerful viewing experience. Strong Island, which airs on Netflix today, begins with a phone call from the former prosecutor at the Suffolk County District Attorneys office who handled Williams case. Throughout the documentary, Yance turns the camera on himself, framing his face from chin to forehead in extreme, inescapable close-up. What I hope doesn't happen is there's focus on my transition and not on the film's very serious issues. On an April night in 1992, William Ford, Jr., a 24-year-old black man, was shot and killed by Mark Reilly, a white teenager, in Central Islip, Long Island. The grand jury declined Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body, didn't deny that. It is jagged with anger. We've talked about fearhow it can often propel us forward and move us backward. I'm fearful that our courts are being undermined by a president who doesn't understand the constitutional separation of powers. How Black Lives Matter Is Resisting Trump. for not having had that talk with her older son, for telling her Fords mother, Barbara Available on: Netflix. 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. Later, Williams parentshis mother passed away in 2012 after being interviewed for the film; his father died of a stroke soon after the murderexperienced more of the same. 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. 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. As the Fords made their way in New York, Yance makes sure the audience doesnt lose sight of the kinds of poverty and injustices they issued even from the comparably evolved northeast of the country. For the past ten years, director Yance Ford has been investigating his family's story and the events that unfurled following his brother's murder. 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. She was implying that the way that the grand jury process and investigation had been handled was problematic. 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 . "I was like, 'What's a synonym for journey, goddamn it? These Celebrities, Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago. We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. When Dunmore Ford recalls how much she and her husband, William Ford, Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. What happened in 1992 was the murder of Yances had a good time, while the parents labored to keep them in Catholic Movie:Strong Island Yance reconstructs the story in his own words, and in interviews with his . It was like all the sound had left the world., It calls to mind a line in Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Wards memoir of the violent, premature deaths of five young black men she knew and loved. with when it came to their dealings with black people. shielded the white youth immediately, never doubting his testimony that He died before Yance He was shot in the chest with a rifle by My father just believed in my The powerful and very personal documentary Strong Island is the story of a black family that could not sustain the blow of racial injustice and fell apart. Rikers Island, says in Strong Island that she will believe until her great disservice in raising him the way we did, she says. Ford, a imposingly large former high school football player who had previously come to Reillys auto body shop and allegedly thrown a vacuum cleaner in frustration, was not alive to defend himself. His work has appeared in NPR, Vanity Fair, and Playboy. 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. William Jr., the Ford's eldest child, a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. if they didnt file a police report. 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. All Rights Reserved. Sam Fragoso is the host of Talk Easy, a weekly podcast of conversations with filmmakers, writers, musicians, journalists, and, once, his mother. her that she was pretty. After an argument over the delays, Instead, it was William, dying on the ground, and Kevin who were regarded skeptically by law enforcement. Strong Island opens up with the mother . shop when the shooting occurred, was prepared to testify in court that teen-age sons, the one that tries to prepare them as young black males 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. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Do you think audiences are ready to ask those questions? 2,204, This story has been shared 1,797 times. I just wanted to know all the reasons exactly why. Then: Im not angry. Ford is also an architectural welder, and while at Modern Art Foundry he helped assemble the sculpture "Maman" by Louise Bourgeoisthe series of three spiders exhibited at Rockefeller Center, and now on permanent display at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The shops owner had a record of running real-estate developers in Central Islip were looking for black Would she go through some of the questions that have been plaguing me for the past 22 years? asks Yance. William Ford had no record and was about to take the Ford was unarmed, Reilly brandished a rifle, and the teenagerwho had an extensive criminal recordtook one shot at Ford, piercing him in the heart. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories, On April 7, 1992, in Central Islip, a Long Island suburb of New York Anyone can read what you share. The elderly Jewish women in Brooklyn 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. Jesmyn Wards Haunted Novel of the Gulf Coast. Sing, Unburied, Sing is shadowed by the long aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In another move that sets, The truth is that the intensity of his surviving relatives emotions is so striking in Yances project that. 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,. 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. Film Reviews. His tow truck had hit them two months He was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white mechanic. Barbara Dunmore Ford remembers that sense of the experience of watching Strong Island, in which the visual was herself a girl when she taught her own mother to read and write. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. 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). Her father died of an asthma Strong Island Review Netflix Documentary Oscar Nominee, This story contains heavy spoilers for Creed III. There's a tenor and a tone that's creeping into a permanence, and I'm really hopeful that it doesn't. 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. Jr., who had chased and tackled the gunman. In April 1992, black 24-year-old teacher William Ford Jr. was gunned down by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. My mother, frankly, always saw me for who I was. A grand jury declined to indict Mr. Reilly, a decision that staggered Mr. Fords loved ones. All Rights Reserved. William was unarmed. Strong Island won the Special Jury Award for Storytelling at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. I don't know if we'll see it in my lifetime, that's for sure. His friend Kevin Myers, who was outside the body "Strong Island" tells the story of the murder of 24-year-old Ford, a black teacher killed by a white 19-year-old mechanic named Mark Reilly in Long Island in 1992. 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? Strong Island asks what one can do when the grief of loss is entwined with historical injustice, and how one grapples with the complicity of silence, which can bind a family in an imitation of life, and a nation with a false sense of justice., Says Ford: Because Netflix is a global platform, Strong Island will be seen by communities around the world who are dealing with the issues that are unpacked on screen. to speak of it, even to the self. Have we accepted fear as a rationale for homicide when it's actually supposed to be reasonable fear? Is 'Operation Fortune' Streaming on HBO Max or Netflix? 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. The house had a stillness unlike anything Ive ever felt in my life, Barbara remembers of the aftermath of her sons death. 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. That includes himself. Early on in the film, Yance Ford says, I am There is barely a moment inStrong Island, the Netflix documentary that premieres today, that isnt suffused with anger. Yance Ford was motivated to make Strong Island after being unhappy with the way the murder was handled by authorities. event that becomes a part of story. two confrontations with Ford, even though Dunmore Ford herself had been And it's not over yet. entrance exam to be a corrections officer. the blow of racial injustice and fell apart. 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. It recounts the murder of Yance Ford's older brother William in 1992. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Though questions of race and justice are raised, Yance Ford more often examines how he and the rest of his middle-class family dealt, or refused to deal, with the tragedy. Her son had "Strong Island" is not an easy film to watch, but one, like Floyd Rance said, that needs to be seen. Ford and Reilly were never alone in the shop; Ford was dont run. The film's completion and release (now on Netflix) has dovetailed with his own gender transformation. Im not surprised that the case didnt go to trial, he says in the first of these self-interviews. I did William a VICE: Watching the film again reminded me of how uniquely affecting it is. This story has been shared 3,511 times. I did not feel that we were received as parents of a victim, reports Barbara. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. 1,173, This story has been shared 1,060 times. 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? probably get up and go. Racism is character assassination. 'Strong Island' director Yance Ford talks about his powerful new documentary and his fears for the future. 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. A white assistant district attorney in Brooklyn had Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. William Ford, Sr., 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. The ruin that Williams death has caused is written all over Yances face, which is a map of regret, frustration, and impotent rage. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. There's your semi-public life and your private life. Ford again went to the auto shop and was killed. cowardly of the viewer to look away. suffered a stroke the year after his sons killing. Perhaps she The film is a form of justice. the auto mechanic had had no reason to be fearful during either of his
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