Co-director Jennifer Holness explores the repercussions, both positive and negative, when citizen journalists bear witness to police brutality against people of color in #WhileBlack. We posed our Qs à la mode to Jennifer, and here’s what she shared!
If I had to describe my film using only three adjectives, they would be: Compelling, vital, compassionate.
I wanted to make this film because: My approach to filmmaking is to find stories or angles that we don’t often think about. I like examining familiar narratives from a new point of view. So, with #WhileBlack, I have seen police brutality of Black people my entire life, but I have rarely thought about the people behind the camera who expose these tragedies. The people who put their lives on hold and, in some cases, on the line when they step into the role of citizen journalists. And when I thought about Darnella Frazer in particular, a 17-year-old girl who truly changed how the world saw this kind of brutality, even if it was for a brief time, I wanted to know her story and I wanted to introduce her to the world.
The thing that surprised me most while making my film was: I know this on some elemental level, but it surprised me the hold trauma has on people who witness these horrendous killings. It surprised me how it grabs a hold of you, and keeps you locked in. It surprised me how it shapes choices, actions, and movements over time, even decades after the initial exposure to it.
My favorite moment/scene/sequence in my film is: The one where Darnella returns to her neighborhood and she’s remembering her childhood. She’s remembering going to school and taking the bus and she’s laughing, and I think it’s the only time in the movie that she truly laughs. And you get a glimpse of the girl that’s been stifled. For me, that was a very powerful moment, in its sweetness.
My most invaluable piece of doc-making equipment was/is: The filmmaker’s empathy and drive to connect with people, to get them to share beyond their expectations and your own.
My must-have snack to get me through hours in the editing room is: M&M Almonds!
One piece of documentary-filmmaking advice I’d like to share with aspiring documentarians is: Be relentless when it comes to getting the story right. Work with partners who believe in your creative vision.
Want to check out Jennifer’s film or just learn more about it?
Get the scoop, and your tickets, here!
