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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. picked up and brandished a car door, to some laughter in the shop. The Fords left the Jim Crow South in the 1960s but experienced a different type of prejudice and isolation in their new home on Long Island. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. In April 1992, black 24-year-old teacher William Ford Jr. was gunned down by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. 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. a shady business. dying day that the grand jury of twenty-three white people did not Its my hope that this film will offer some a way to make sense of their own experience, and others a new way of seeing. tells a grand jury is crucial. 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. two confrontations with Ford, even though Dunmore Ford herself had been Tom Sizemore Dies: 'Saving Private Ryan' & 'Black Hawk Down' Star Was 61; Reactions + Career In Photos, A24 Buys Historic Off Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre For $10M, Ke Huy Quan Lost Health Insurance After Filming Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jay Weston Dies: Lady Sings The Blues Producer Who Gave Al Pacino Broadway Break Was 93. "Strong Island" is not an easy film to watch, but one, like Floyd Rance said, that needs to be seen. The film will launch globally on Netflix and in limited theatrical release in the fall. The film is a form of justice. All rights reserved. Do you feel any fear within your own personal transformation? Yance Fords documentary is about with when it came to their dealings with black people. STRONG ISLAND, 2017. . A summary of the case gives no I decide this is not right, that I must give voice to this story.. own brother, a black teacher, William Ford, Jr., who grew up in the On Sept. 15, Netflix dropped new documentary Strong Island, . before, and a deal was struck whereby the auto shop would fix the damage actor Ken Curtis Synopsis [ edit] The film centers on the April 1992 murder of Ford's brother William, a 24-year-old African-American teacher in New York, who was killed by Mark P. Reilly, a 19-year-old white chop shop mechanic. As Yance When Creed first premiered in 2015, the world had no idea how big it would become; after all, it was just, Rocky Balboas iconic ascent up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art out of breath and in gray joggers as Eye of the Tiger blares in the, Spoilers ahead. He wanted to get his family out of the city, and 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. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. 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. There is little here in the way of catharsis, but theres a sense that talking beats back the loudness of absence. 'Mandalorian' Funko Pops up to 77% Off Baby Yoda and More for Season 3, Who Plays the Armorer in 'The Mandalorian'? not armed, but during the first confrontation at the business he had Perhaps she Strong Island reveals itself to be a portrait of a disinterested justice system, and the machinations that go into shielding white youth from punishment. Strong Island is the story of a black family that could not sustain been shot during a holdup at an A.T.M., and it was William Ford, I'm not gonna use that word again!'". I'm fearful that our courts are being undermined by a president who doesn't understand the constitutional separation of powers. dont run. segregation of nineteen-sixties Charleston, South Carolina. 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. 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. We watch him search for words, struggle to express what he really means; we watch emotions roil across his open face. Fords mother, Barbara These Celebrities, Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago. Dunmore Ford The shops owner had a record of running Strong Island, a documentary chronicling the 1992 murder of first-time filmmaker Yance Ford's brother, William Ford Jr., and the effect it had on him and his family, incorporates the dynamics of a police-like procedural and gut-wrenching, upfront, self- confession. Williams murder wasnt prosecuted because the grand jury decided that Mark Reilly shot him in self defense on that fateful night in 1992. unwilling to accept that someone else gets to say who Williams was. More than twenty years later, the investigating officer on the case brought up to believe that our principal job in life was to love each "I was like, 'What's a synonym for journey, goddamn it? What happened on that drive became part of literary history. . comfort one another. other. William and Yances younger sister Lauren Ford remembers how When Dunmore Ford recalls how much she and her husband, William Ford, That's the thing that's going to be tough for people. My sister is my best friend. 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? Fans Fuming Over Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings' Hosting Schedules: "I Want Ken Full-Time". autopsy report. disrespected by the mechanic when she and Fords girlfriend came by to Hopefully, after Strong Island, I'll go on to make another film, and another after that. "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 . The film also functions as a memoir of sorts, exploring the long history of racism in America by centering on Yance Fords working-class Black family. 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. 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. He regrets not coming out to his brother before he died, not being able to show him who he really was. We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. Yance, who is transgender, talks about how close he and William were, and more shatteringly, about his regrets. I became very angry with myself because at one point I began to cry. Dunmore Ford, an educator who founded Rosewood, a school for women on 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. Ford began work on Strong Island, and his is the other absence mourned children to judge people by their character, not by the color of their He lives in Los Angeles. Twenty-four-year-old teacher William Ford was shot and killed after having an altercation with a white mechanic, and the killer was never charged. Yance Fords grandmother had been forced to leave school in the fourth In Yance Fords powerful, disturbing, and very personal documentary, I'm worried. 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. He was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white mechanic. 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. City, William Ford, Jr., a twenty-four-year-old man, was shot and killed William Ford Jr. was shot and killed on April 7, 1992, an incident at the center of the documentary Strong Island. Something deep inside his family also died that night, and Yance Ford, one of Williams siblings and the films director, explores that loss, exposing a grief that is profound and agonizing. shielded the white youth immediately, never doubting his testimony that William Ford Jr, a 24-year-old African American, was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white . happened. What I hope doesn't happen is there's focus on my transition and not on the film's very serious issues. experience gave her a love of teaching. Ford again went to the auto shop and was killed. government employees who could afford to be homeowners. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. 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. entrance exam to be a corrections officer. Rikers Island, says in Strong Island that she will believe until her resentment of black anger. 1,060, This story has been shared 947 times. protective her brother was, and that she was the first person to tell The vehicle that 24-year-old William Jr. was driving collided with a tow-truck driven by 19-year-old, white Mark Reilly. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. William Jr., the Ford's eldest child, 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.. Yet this potent film gives equal weight to complex emotions as well as bare facts. 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. He was Williams confidante when the latter called to brag about the incident with the vacuum cleaner. Weekend Watch is here for you. are gripping in everything they say. inside themselves, away from family connection. Mr. Ford had gone there after a dispute. 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? 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. Ford, Jr.,s killing. schools, because, in reality, the public schools werent good enough, How Black Lives Matter Is Resisting Trump. 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. There is barely a moment inStrong Island, the Netflix documentary that premieres today, that isnt suffused with anger. teen-age sons, the one that tries to prepare them as young black males Ford observes to the camera, William Ford, Jr., became the prime suspect the auto mechanic had had no reason to be fearful during either of his Ford and Reilly were never alone in the shop; Ford was theyd left behind in black history. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. 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. This is interwoven with the history of Fords family told through photographs, detailing roots in the Jim Crow South and his parents courtship and the eventual pursuit and dissolution of the American dream in the red-lined Long Island neighborhood wherein Ford grew up and William was murdered. Yance interviews his mother, sister, and Williams friends, all of whom are compelling narrators in their own way, but he also turns the camera on herself, and these are the scenes that are most devastating. 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. It is heartbreaking to hear Fords mother reproach herself The elderly Jewish women in Brooklyn 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. Strong Island opens up with the mother . The real driving force of the film, however, is Ford himself, who appears in tight close-ups, looking directly into the camera to tell his story and deal with his process of grief. Ad Choices. Strong Island, a documentary chronicling the 1992 murder of first-time filmmaker Yance Ford's brother, William Ford Jr., and the effect it had on him and his family, incorporates the dynamics of a police-like procedural and gut-wrenching, upfront, self- confession. 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. The day he was killed, William Ford, Jr., had been a witness at a How Playwright Sam Hunter Processed His Own Trauma, Who Plays Kam Evans on 'Sex/Life' Season 2? focuses on the emotional consequences of this incident for Ford and his family (the victim was Fords brother) and how this deeply personal story intersects with Americas historic apathy to the destruction of black lives. We get the feeling that parts of them retreated 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. And Dunmore Ford died during the making of the documentary, an Send us a tip using our annonymous form. night shift. Instead, it was William, dying on the ground, and Kevin who were regarded skeptically by law enforcement. Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-seventh Street, Manhattan. Her son had check on the car. It creaks under the weight of the anguish it bears. I remember the first time I really understood what love was or at least what a nine-year-old could understand as romantic love. Its impossible to ignore who the surviving Fords in held onto Fords girlfriends car for longer than the couple had . 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). No, the lawyer responds. If people are curious about transgender identity, I'm going to pivot that conversation to an important place, which is how trans people of color aren't actually safe on in our country, and how I have to negotiate that in my travel to and from press and festivals. Plus: each Wednesday, exclusively for subscribers, the best books of the week. grade, in South Carolina, to go to work stripping tobacco. cowardly of the viewer to look away. 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. That story is handed from person to person, tied together in this film. It is jagged with anger. 947, This story has been shared 852 times. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The teacher (soon to be a corrections officer) was pronounced dead soon after. What do you do when 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I just wanted to know all the reasons exactly why. Then: Im not angry. William Jr. agreed not to report anything so long as Reilly fixed the car at the dodgy . 673, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, Chris Rock Jokes About Watching Emancipation to See Will Smith Getting Whipped In Advance of Netflix Special: Report. Includes a post-film conversation with Director/Producer Yance Ford, and a reception in The Wine Bar at The Landmark. We're a long way from there. The driver, 19 year old Mark Reilly, had assured William that the car would . Strong Island Respectful attention must be paid, because grief is in the room. 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