In the wake of this week’s grand jury verdict for Darren Wilson, the officer standing trial for the fatal shooting of Ferguson resident, Michael Brown, two filmmakers have pledged to make a stand. Oscar-nominated documentarian Amy Berg has joined forces with actor Nate Parker to helm a social commentary on what they’ve dubbed a “black male crisis” in the U.S.
“Our conversations about race in this country have been ongoing,” Berg said. “It is truly a tragic state that we are in that we have to remind people that we abolished slavery 150 years ago, but the sad statistics today show that black people are targeted every day by the system. Our systemic racial profiling is very deeply embedded in our culture, and the Michael Brown case shows we have to find a way to change this. Now.”
After Wilson’s verdict was delivered two days ago, Berg and Parker united with writer-director Matthew Cooke and began assembling ideas for a documentary that’s been given the title American Race. Choosing to maintain full control of the proposed piece, the trio hatched an Indiegogo campaign with the hopes of raising the funds themselves. Their hopes are to hit their $25,000 goal as soon as possible, so they can “tell this incredibly powerful and demanding truth about race inequality in America.”
Berg’s prior investigative films have landed her serious critical acclaim, from her Oscar-nominated Catholic Church expose, Deliver Us From Evil, to West Of Memphis. With her talent steering the indie doc, the film could be in the running for Oscar gold once it releases.
For more information on the campaign, click the link above or check out the overview below.
“In response to the growing problem of racial disparity due to the ongoing dehumanization of black men, actor and activist Nate Parker is setting out on a journey of investigation. He will venture into black communities to speak to various stakeholders about the crisis facing these men. Through the examination of specific cases, Nate will create relevant and responsive discourse with the intention of mining strong and tangible solutions to combat this ever-growing crisis.”
