We get the feeling that parts of them retreated The film also functions as a memoir of sorts, exploring the long history of racism in America by centering on Yance Fords working-class Black family. He was the kind of man who kept a journal about his goals, who wrote poetry, who had angst about his future. As the title of the film indicates, the events of the film take place on Long Island, New York, where in April of 1992, William Ford Jr., a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19-year-old mechanic after a series of arguments that began with a fender-bender. Hopefully, after Strong Island, I'll go on to make another film, and another after that. Yance Ford, who is transgender, is a recipient of the Creative Capital Award, a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, a Sundance Documentary Film Program Fellowship, and was among Filmmaker Magazines 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2011. All Rights Reserved. This story has been shared 3,511 times. When Creed first premiered in 2015, the world had no idea how big it would become; after all, it was just, Rocky Balboas iconic ascent up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art out of breath and in gray joggers as Eye of the Tiger blares in the, Spoilers ahead. For audiences that experience this and are finally being believed because of social media, cellphone cameras, body cameras, empirical studies from people like the Marshall Project, books like The New Jim Crow it's like, "OK, finally, now we believe you." held onto Fords girlfriends car for longer than the couple had Reilly had been recruited by Thomas Datre who ran an auto repair garage called Super Stang within five blocks of Yance's house. 1,173, This story has been shared 1,060 times. Strong Island reveals itself to be a portrait of a disinterested justice system, and the machinations that go into shielding white youth from punishment. Dunmore Ford died during the making of the documentary, an . K. F. Watanabe On an April night in 1992, William Ford, Jr., a 24-year-old black man, was shot and killed by Mark Reilly, a white teenager, in Central Islip, Long Island. Just talking about my transition and when I "came out" is a bit weird, because we have this expectation that every moment of our lives and realization about ourselves is going to be lived in some public arena. after 9/11, to protect his new country. Netflix Acquires Yance Ford'S Strong Island It draws a line around your life, she says. He was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white mechanic. before, and a deal was struck whereby the auto shop would fix the damage Yance's journey (I can use it) has been a long one. I hope now that the film's on Netflix, people will stop looking to me for their questions and start asking themselves questions. Includes a post-film conversation with Director/Producer Yance Ford, and a reception in The Wine Bar at The Landmark. These Celebrities, Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago. trying to establish what happened the night that William Ford, Jr., was 2022 International Documentary Association. Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body, didn't deny that. high-profile trial. . Strong Island won the Special Jury Award for Storytelling at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. for encounters with the police. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Sr., loved New York City, implicit in that is their escape from the I wonder why silence is the sound of our subsumed rage, our accumulated grief, Ward asks. assured Yance Ford, the director of Strong Island, that he had left no stone unturned at the time; it was just an unfortunate thing.. If you need social assistance, they're going to drug test you and make you work x amount of hours a week, and it doesn't matter if you don't have childcare. I'm not gonna use that word again!'". I hear a lot of talk on the net and on my Facebook feed about self-care, and I think that as a nation we need to understand that there are a lot of people in a lot of different positions in this society who need mental healthcare. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. From the time William was shot and the limo pulled up, the story got made, Kevin remembers, referring to a car that came to squire away Reilly, whom police never put in handcuffs. comfort one another. The great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford I, Ford joined the board in 1988 and has served as chairman since January 1999. Who married John Ford's daughter? "Strong Island" is an example of how the justice system . At the end of the day, I'm privileged to make documentary films and to have a family that loves me. shop when the shooting occurred, was prepared to testify in court that He keeps the camera closely trained on the faces of those whove suffered emotional wounds that wont heal, and who live with regrets that are devastating. For ten years Ford was privileged to work as Series Producer for the PBS showcase POV and where his curatorial work helped garner more than 16 Emmy nominations. After an argument over the delays, Strong Island, a documentary chronicling the 1992 murder of first-time filmmaker Yance Ford's brother, William Ford Jr., and the effect it had on him and his family, incorporates the dynamics of a police-like procedural and gut-wrenching, upfront, self- confession. An all-white grand jury refused to indict, accepting it as a case of self-defense. Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-seventh Street, Manhattan. It would be Dunmore Ford children to judge people by their character, not by the color of their if they didnt file a police report. "Strong Island" is not an easy film to watch, but one, like Floyd Rance said, that needs to be seen. Bobby Hadid joined the N.Y.P.D. Strong Island is the story of a black family that could not sustain By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. by Mark Reilly, a nineteen-year-old auto-body-shop employee. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. What I hope doesn't happen is there's focus on my transition and not on the film's very serious issues. he was frightened of Ford, a short but stocky young black man. 2,623, This story has been shared 2,555 times. Washington a thing to say. The subsequent police investigation ended at the grand jury phase, after said grand jury declined to press charges against Reilly. details are important. Strong Island is an American 2017 true-crime documentary film directed by Yance Ford . Since Trayvon Martins killing, we have become familiar with the There was also a young man in Toronto who asked me how I could reconcile Mark Reilly's fear with my brother's behavior. Strong Island tells either of a racist coverup or of the racism that I'm not necessarily in a state of transformationI'm just being more public about it, which is a semi-uncomfortable place because I'm a private person. happened to the Ford family afterward. Available on: Netflix. When do you think the punishing stops? The film is a form of justice. suffered a stroke the year after his sons killing. . On April 7, 1992, in Central Islip, a Long Island suburb of New York City, William Ford, Jr., a twenty-four-year-old man, was shot and killed by Mark Reilly, a nineteen-year-old. the blow of racial injustice and fell apart. Yance Fords hands shuffling the photographs, laying them out, and Yance Jr., who had chased and tackled the gunman. . become frustrated as a customer, forgetting all about inherited white passing on of necessary survival techniques. Sam Fragoso is the host of Talk Easy, a weekly podcast of conversations with filmmakers, writers, musicians, journalists, and, once, his mother. Ford again went to the auto shop and was killed. findings that, afraid for his life, he had shot Ford in self-defense. Yance Fords extraordinary ten-years-in-the-making documentary If Strong Island makes that easier for one family to seek out, then I'll be happy. That includes himself. He lives in Los Angeles. She was implying that the way that the grand jury process and investigation had been handled was problematic. Strong Island Review Netflix Documentary Oscar Nominee - Refinery29 By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. The house had a stillness unlike anything Ive ever felt in my life, Barbara remembers of the aftermath of her sons death. The tragedy left the Fords in some deep way unable to cowardly of the viewer to look away. from the last pages of William Ford, Jr.,s journal, and from his expected the repairs to take. government employees who could afford to be homeowners. In the same way, its not just the story of a mans death, but also a study of the aftermath. The vehicle that 24-year-old William Jr. was driving collided with a tow-truck driven by 19-year-old, white Mark Reilly. Reilly claimed self-defense. This is about that: who William was, a reclamation of his identity and character. Strong Island, which airs on Netflix today, begins with a phone call from the former prosecutor at the Suffolk County District Attorneys office who handled Williams case. Yance Ford has directed a movie about the death of his brother that distills this kind of frustration into something heartbreaking, but thats what makes it a vital and powerful film. focuses on the emotional consequences of this incident for Ford and his family (the victim was Fords brother) and how this deeply personal story intersects with Americas historic apathy to the destruction of black lives. autopsy report. Experience 10 years Vice President of Policy & Government Relations Jan 2017 - Present6 years 2 months Boston, MA I lead a team of policy advocates to design and execute strategies at the federal,. What to Know About 'The Bachelor' Season 27, Episode 6 Filming Location, Mark Wahlbergs "Checkered Racist Past" Has Fans Questioning Why He Presented 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' Cast With SAG Award, 'Bon Jovi: Live In New York' Sees Band At The Peak Of Their Powers, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Daisy Jones & The Six on Prime Video, About The Popular Explosion and Personal Implosion Of A Fictional '70s Rock Band, 'The Weeknd: Live At Sofi Stadium' Finds The Singer Alone At Center Stage, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song Charts Complicated Route From Creation to Mass Acceptance, Disney100 Funko Pops Are Here, And They're Adorable, Stream It Or Skip It: Lyle Lyle Crocodile on Netflix, an Extremely Silly Musical About a Singing Reptile, Stream It Or Skip It: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank on Prime Video, the Animated Kid-Friendly Version of 'Blazing Saddles' You Didn't Know You Didn't Need, Stream It Or Skip It: True Spirit on Netflix, A Movie Based On The True Story of a Teen's Global Sailing Voyage, How to Stream and Buy the 'Daisy Jones & The Six' 'Aurora' Album Now, 'Daisy Jones & The Six Episode 3 Recap: "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", Shop Amazon's 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Store To Get Looks From The Show, 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Episode 2 Recap: "I'll Take You There", 'Sex/Life' Season 2's 11 Raunchiest Moments, 11 Best New Shows on Netflix: March 2023's Top Upcoming Series to Watch, 'Sex/Life' Season 2 Said Pregnant Women Can Have Sex With Adam Demos, Too, Sex/Life Season 2s Wildest Scene is a Guy Pumping Up His New Prosthetic Penis. Strong Island 793, This story has been shared 758 times. . Cinematographers & Cameras: Insights Into "The Crown," "Strong Island motorman, working the Fords voice interrogating the past, face tightly framed. Screen Slate 2010-2023. Its a talk rooted in black history, and Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance', Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me' On HBO Max, Making The Oscars Slap All About Him, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Triangle of Sadness' on Hulu, Ruben Ostlund's Skewering of the Moneyed Elite. a shady business. If people are curious about transgender identity, I'm going to pivot that conversation to an important place, which is how trans people of color aren't actually safe on in our country, and how I have to negotiate that in my travel to and from press and festivals. I decide this is not right, that I must give voice to this story.. had been neighborly; for her, Islip was moving back into a segregated Anyone can read what you share. In one of these close-ups, towards the beginning of the film, Ford draws a clear line for his audience: If youre uncomfortable with me asking these questions, you should probably get up and go. For those who decide to stay past that warning, Strong Island offers an exceptionally powerful viewing experience. The police and the Suffolk County district attorneys office The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. unfamiliar car that often parked across the street from their house, and When Dunmore Ford recalls how much she and her husband, William Ford, Review: 'Strong Island' Explores a Killing and Its Aftermath actor Ken Curtis This instead is a tightly-coiled, deeply frustrated anger borne of grief and having nowhere to go with that grief for 25 years. real-estate developers in Central Islip were looking for black We've talked about fearhow it can often propel us forward and move us backward. inside themselves, away from family connection. 1,060, This story has been shared 947 times. That's the thing that's going to be tough for people. VICE: Watching the film again reminded me of how uniquely affecting it is. with when it came to their dealings with black people. We then see Yance get decades-old information from a police officer after literally years of trying in vain to get any information about the investigation out of the authorities who says that the earlier altercation was indeed a big part of the reason why the grand jury thought Reilly was acting in self-defense. Screen Slate is a guide to moving image culture. All rights reserved. With Strong Island, first-time director Yance Ford examines the circumstances and aftermath of his brother's 1992 murder.When 24-year-old William Ford, Jr. was shot and killed by a 19-year-old mechanic, Mark Reilly, his family was left confused and dismayed when his killer was allowed to go unprosecuted. 'Strong Island,' about 1992 LI killing, coming to Netflix black people is to ignore them; the easiest way to cope with pain is not His work has appeared in NPR, Vanity Fair, and Playboy. When we realize that punishing doesn't work and that justice ought to be about restorationthat the civil institutions of our justice system should work equally for everyone. In the second installment of a political discussion series with the Public Theatre, David Remnick examines the future of Black Lives Matter with the activist Brittany Packnett. Respectful attention must be paid, because grief is in the room. No, the lawyer responds. And I hated that moment. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. schools, because, in reality, the public schools werent good enough, 2,204, This story has been shared 1,797 times. protective her brother was, and that she was the first person to tell With the emotional adventure of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closing out the controversial fourth, Minor spoilers ahead. right, and then were destroyed by all the things that they thought The Fords left the Jim Crow South in the 1960s but experienced a different type of prejudice and isolation in their new home on Long Island. Those are Studio Screen: Strong Island maysles documentary center Strong Island | The New Yorker Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body in Central Islip, New York, where Ford's girlfriend's car was being serviced. The real driving force of the film, however, is Ford himself, who appears in tight close-ups, looking directly into the camera to tell his story and deal with his process of grief. The Landmark, Westside Pavilion Mall, 10850 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90064. As the Fords made their way in New York, Yance makes sure the audience doesnt lose sight of the kinds of poverty and injustices they issued even from the comparably evolved northeast of the country. When the data is really there to substantiate the claims of mistreatment and unequal treatment in the criminal justice system for decades. The Terrifying Car Crash That Inspired a Masterpiece. Mr. Ford had gone there after a dispute over a repair and confronted Mr. Reilly about an insult that was said to have been made earlier to Mr. Fords mother. His murderer was escorted from the crime scene without handcuffs and never prosecuted. it cuts across class lines. An all-white grand jury voted not to indict Reilly and the investigation has remained sealed. Will There Be A 'Sex/Life' Season 3 on Netflix? Strong Island (2017) - Strong Island (2017) - User Reviews - IMDb I think we're going to see a lot of resistance to any rollbacks by DOJ to criminal justice reform, and I hope that Strong Island provides some affirmation to families like Tamir Rice's mom and Trayvon Martin's parents. , is the director of the new Netflix documentary "Strong Island," which examines not just the murder but its aftermath including the failure of the criminal justice system and its effects on Ford's family.. Yance Ford was a 19-year-old art student when his brother was killed. "Mark Reilly already said everything he had to say to me when he shot and killed my brother." Ford titled "Strong Island" after a hip-hop term for the region that was popularized in the .