100% on Rotten Tomatoes and “one of the most heartbreaking films” you’ll see.
Regarding American society, it’s clear that art is reflecting life when you look at some of the films and TV shows that have recently been made.
Green Room, Get Out, The Handmaid’s Tale, Dear White People and Detroit are all eerily topical, but this has also been reflected in the increasing amount of diverse documentaries that are examining the history of flaws and injustices that exist within the US justice system.
Making A Murderer, The Keepers and The Confession Tapes are just some of the documentaries that have done their very best to expose criminal cover-ups, injustices and heartbreaks, but Netflix’s latest feature has moved some viewers to tears.
A few weeks ago, we brought you the news that Strong Island would be airing on Netflix and viewers have already been deeply moved by Yance Ford’s powerful documentary.
In April 1992, William Ford Jr, a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic.
Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder.
In the deeply moving documentary, Yance Ford chronicles the arc of his family across history, geography and tragedy – from the racial segregation of the Jim Crow South to the promise of New York City; from the presumed safety of middle class suburbs, to the maelstrom of an unexpected, violent death.
At the Sundance Film Festival, Strong Island received the Special Jury Award for Storytelling and after being released to the public, it has won even more admirers.
Here’s what the critics and viewers have said about Ford’s superb documentary that currently has an 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
New York Times – “This potent film gives equal weight to complex emotions as well as bare facts. In the same way, it’s not just the story of a man’s death, but also a study of the aftermath.”
Variety – “Ford’s intent as a filmmaker isn’t just to expose and protest the injustice of his brother’s murder. It’s to say: Behold what was lost. A life. A human being. A complex soul. A family’s equilibrium. Feel what was lost.”
The Hollywood Reporter – “Solemn, searching and at times even poetic in its indignation, this is a sensitively crafted contemplation of corrosive grief, even if the unanswerable questions surrounding the case keep the film somewhat emotionally muted.”
As for those people that have already seen Strong Island, they’ve found it extremely powerful and moving.
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Netflix Original documentary Strong Island is a powerful exploration of racial injustice in the US. Always important but especially timely.
— Kelly Robben (@KellyKellyInKC) September 15, 2017
Powerful, direct story-telling in @yford's brilliant Strong Island, up now on @netflix. https://t.co/EAk6us7Dpg
— James Jones (@jamesjonesfilm) September 16, 2017
SEE: Yance Ford's brilliant, history-making documentary STRONG ISLAND on @netflix. It's interrogative and expansive.
— Sarah M. Broom (@sarahmbroom) September 15, 2017
Strong Island by @yford is one of the most powerful & heartbreaking films I've seen in a long time. Watch it on Netflix . #justiceforford
— Cara Doyle (@caradoyle) September 18, 2017
Here’s the trailer.
