On Wednesday the 13th the whole of Transition Year went to see a documentary in the IFI called The Interrupters. The documentary followed three people’s perspectives as they tried to end violence in Chicago. Ameena Matthews, Eddie Bocanegra and Cobe Williams worked for CeaseFire, an organisation set up by former drug gang members. Their aim was (and is) to rid Chicago of violence. During the period of time in which this documentary was shot Chicago became notorious for multiple high-publicity murders.
The documentary began by introducing Ameena. Ameena is the daughter of one of Chicago’s most infamous gang lords, Jeff Fort. From a young age Ameena fell into the same hole that her father had. She started selling drugs in Chicago’s nightclubs until she was arrested. After her release she found solace in the Muslim religion and started a family. Ameena proved to be a wealth of wisdom for the CeaseFire organisation, especially because she grew up in the same neighbourhood as most of the people in the documentary. Eddie Bocanegra led a troubled life. He sold drugs and rose up gang rankings until he murdered a man. He served 12 years in prison. During his sentence he discovered a passion for art and now he helps children in troubled areas come to terms with the violence and conflict through painting. The documentary follows Eddie still searching for peace. We see him come to terms with his past and watch him try to rectify it. Together with Cobe Williams, Ameena and Eddie spearhead the CeaseFire movement. After the death of Derrion Albert they staged peaceful protests to stop the same thing ever happening again. Derrion’s death was recorded on tape and uploaded to the internet for everyone to see. This sparked a huge anti-violence movement in Chicago and around the world, which CeaseFire used to its advantage by broadcasting their message on international news. I really enjoyed the documentary and can’t wait until the next one. Text: E.D. |
AuthorEducation's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. – Malcolm Forbes Archives
October 2015
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