Strong Island (2017)

"Talking head" documentaries can sometimes have a hard time keeping you visually interested in the film. Regardless of how compelling the story is, if there is nothing to watch, the film can become somewhat tedious. That is not the case with Strong Island, director Yance Ford's engrossing documentary about his brother's murder. Ford's strength here is finding a way to fully engross us in watching him and his family members talk to us, to relate their experience of their loss in such an engaging way.

Strong Island is intensely personal on a literal level. It is the story of the killing of a family member. But it is also intensely personal in a cinematic way. Ford puts us right next to him and his family. You get the feeling you are sitting in their home with them, feeling a fraction of their pain, their loss. Ford's talent here is remarkable.

The film is also more than just a personal story. It is the story of being black in America and how violence is directed at black communities. It is the story of the lack of appropriate response to violence by law enforcement, by the justice system. It is both the story of William Ford Jr.  as well as the story of black men in America.

Watching Strong Island one is uniquely honoured to share in this moment in time. It is remarkable.

Strong Island
Writer/director: Yance Ford