In Night Watches Us, director Stefan Verna trains his lens on a grieving community in Quebec — to examine issues such as systemic racism, police violence, and using art to heal — after the police-involved shooting of a young father. We posed our Qs à la mode to Stefan, and here’s what he shared!
If I had to describe my film using only three adjectives, they would be: Grieving, Afrocentric, stylistic.
I wanted to make this film because: I wanted to illustrate the impact of the killing of Nicholas Gibbs on his family, the neighbourhood where he lived and the activist community. And to shed light on police racial profiling and impunity, as well as the mishandling of citizens dealing with psychotic episodes.
The thing that surprised me most while making my film was: The collusion between the police and the justice system in Quebec. There is a reason why it is virtually impossible to have a member of the police face criminal charges despite their reckless behaviours.
My favorite moment/scene/sequence in my film is: Every moment in the film is deeply dear to me.
My most invaluable piece of doc-making equipment was/is: My photo camera. While taking photos of the location where Nicholas Gibbs was killed, I met so many witnesses who were open to talking about the incident.
My must-have snack to get me through hours in the editing room is: Double espresso, of course.
One piece of documentary-filmmaking advice I’d like to share with aspiring documentarians is: Learn to talk to strangers and learn to communicate to them your deep passion for the film that you are making.
Want to check out Stefan’s film or just learn more about it?
Get the scoop, and your tickets, here!
