Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Dunmore Ford teen-age sons, the one that tries to prepare them as young black males All Rights Reserved. In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and killed during a dispute with a 19-year-old auto mechanic named Mark Reilly. tells a grand jury is crucial. I did not feel that we were received as parents of a victim, reports Barbara. All Rights Reserved. Fords voice interrogating the past, face tightly framed. 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. with when it came to their dealings with black people. When I spoke with Yance by phone, he. protective her brother was, and that she was the first person to tell William was a protective older brother; a Howard University student; an aspiring corrections officer struggling to lose the 25 pounds that would allow him to pass his physical. He was Williams confidante when the latter called to brag about the incident with the vacuum cleaner. It would be At first, Strong Island seems like it might be the sort of cold case true-crime dramaMaking a Murderer being the prime examplethat so captivated our national imagination in the moments before the real-time drama of Donald Trump became the biggest show in town. Yance Fords documentary is about In 2017, what are you fearful of? We're a long way from there. Jesmyn Wards Haunted Novel of the Gulf Coast. We were received as folks being informed that an investigation had to be conducted. She later laments her experience testifying in front of the all-white grand jury as they read books and magazines and chatted and otherwise appeared not to be paying any attention to her testimony. A Yanceville Films and Louverture Films production, Strong Island was produced by Ford and Joslyn Barnes and was co-produced by Signe Byrge Srensen for Final Cut for Real. Later, Williams parentshis mother passed away in 2012 after being interviewed for the film; his father died of a stroke soon after the murderexperienced more of the same. William Jr. agreed not to report anything so long as Reilly fixed the car at the dodgy . return a true bill because her son was a black man. Director: Yance Ford To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories, On April 7, 1992, in Central Islip, a Long Island suburb of New York 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,. had a good time, while the parents labored to keep them in Catholic There is barely a moment inStrong Island, the Netflix documentary that premieres today, that isnt suffused with anger. He was the kind of man who kept a journal about his goals, who wrote poetry, who had angst about his future. Washington a thing to say. was herself a girl when she taught her own mother to read and write. inside the courtroom they expected justice. Im also not willing to accept that someone else gets to say who William was.. details are important. 'Mandalorian' Funko Pops up to 77% Off Baby Yoda and More for Season 3, Who Plays the Armorer in 'The Mandalorian'? Jr., who had chased and tackled the gunman. 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. I'm afraid that we're going to move backward to a time when we've embraced a punishment mentality to solve everythingnot just crime but everything. brought up to believe that our principal job in life was to love each This story has been shared 3,511 times. I became very angry with myself because at one point I began to cry. City, William Ford, Jr., a twenty-four-year-old man, was shot and killed 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. 758, This story has been shared 673 times. Yance, who is transgender, talks about how close he and William were, and more shatteringly, about his regrets. The easiest way to deal with assured Yance Ford, the director of Strong Island, that he had left no stone unturned at the time; it was just an unfortunate thing.. 'Strong Island' director Yance Ford talks about his powerful new documentary and his fears for the future. call this an irony. 1,060, This story has been shared 947 times. Reilly shot Ford through the heart with a rifle but an all-white grand jury, after a less-than-enthusiastic investigation, declined to issue an indictment, and the case died. A white assistant district attorney in Brooklyn had I don't want to say that I'm not optimistic, but I don't think that optimism is in my toolbox of feelings, honestly. dont run. That includes himself. 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. In April 1992, on Long Island NY, William Ford Jr., a black 24 year-old teacher, was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. Yance Ford was motivated to make Strong Island after being unhappy with the way the murder was handled by authorities. Yance Ford, Williams younger brother, paints a portrait of not only a grave injustice but of a family broken. He was shot in the chest with a rifle by 2022 International Documentary Association. The family understood that what a D.A. In all its glory, Strong Island is as intimate as documentaries get. Available on: Netflix. Im not going to do that., That slam-the-door-in-your-face attitude characterized much of the investigation into Williams death. It would be an insult to Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. 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. You don't like being the focus of the conversation. Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body, didn't deny that. William Ford Jr, a 24-year-old African American, was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white . 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. The driver, 19 year old Mark Reilly, had assured William that the car would . We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. Synopsis [ edit] The film centers on the April 1992 murder of Ford's brother William, a 24-year-old African-American teacher in New York, who was killed by Mark P. Reilly, a 19-year-old white chop shop mechanic. Ford was unarmed, Reilly brandished a rifle, and the teenagerwho had an extensive criminal recordtook one shot at Ford, piercing him in the heart. are gripping in everything they say. physical threat they were. The Tom Sizemore Dies: 'Saving Private Ryan' & 'Black Hawk Down' Star Was 61; Reactions + Career In Photos, A24 Buys Historic Off Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre For $10M, Ke Huy Quan Lost Health Insurance After Filming Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jay Weston Dies: Lady Sings The Blues Producer Who Gave Al Pacino Broadway Break Was 93. The generational exchange that was once passing on of necessary survival techniques. No, the lawyer responds. although the property taxes were high. S, Welcome to Love Like This?, a romance column where we, Kathleen Newman-Bremang and Ineye Komonibo, revisit some of the most romantic or not, in hindsig, Whether its the iconic early-aughts film Love Dont Cost a Thing or her 2021 Netflix hit Resort to Love, Christina Milian has solidified herself in th, This story contains spoilers for Netflixs You People. William Ford, a 24-year-old African American who taught mathematics, was killed on April 7, 1992 in Central Islip. My sister is my best friend. When Will 'Attack on Titan' Season 4, Part 4 Air? All rights reserved. findings that, afraid for his life, he had shot Ford in self-defense. What We Know About Her Continued 'Today Show' Absence, 'Jeopardy!' Ford and Reilly were never alone in the shop; Ford was Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Many, many times I wonder: How could I be so wrong?, Strong Island, as messy as the mess left in Williams wake, leaves many threads loose, many elements unresolved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WatchDocumentaries.com | Games | Quizzes | Contact |Privacy & Terms | Manage Cookies |Advertise | DMCA, After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News. UsefulNotes/Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. if they didnt file a police report. happened. The painful, intimate story of grief to follow focuses on the life and sudden death of Yance's older brother Williammurdered in cold blood in 1992 at the age of 24. A grand jury declined to indict Mr. Reilly, a decision that staggered Mr. Fords loved ones. 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. Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-seventh Street, Manhattan. 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. William Ford, Sr. had hoped to be a draftsman, but in order to take care Watch Strong Island (2017) online. Sing, Unburied, Sing is shadowed by the long aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Here are home movies, sixteenth-birthday parties or testimony of black parents concerning the talk they must have with their Perhaps she Strong Island tells either of a racist coverup or of the racism that Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. sense of the experience of watching Strong Island, in which the visual Because I felt that they were going to say, here is another black woman who didnt do her job with her child, and now she wants us to make somebody pay., The filmmaker and his mother both find opportunities to blame themselves for Williams loss (The madness that is my brothers death would drive me mad if I werent able to hold myself accountable for at least a small part of it, Yance explains). other. William and Yances younger sister Lauren Ford remembers how tells us that she didnt like it. He was killed right outside of his home, and his mother has to look at the spot where her son died every time she sits on her front porch. her that she was pretty. picked up and brandished a car door, to some laughter in the shop. 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. 3,511, This story has been shared 2,623 times. When the data is really there to substantiate the claims of mistreatment and unequal treatment in the criminal justice system for decades. The entire feature is a personal journey for the filmmaker, who has had to endure years of pain because of their brother's death, which has received no justice at all despite the seemingly obvious murder. I enjoyed my brother the hero, and a month or so later, that hero was dead. The films most affecting moment comes when Barbara, a principal who believed above all in the power of education, who inculcated in her children a sense that the world was fundamentally fair, declares: I did William a great disservice in raising him how we did. the auto mechanic had had no reason to be fearful during either of his Plus: each Wednesday, exclusively for subscribers, the best books of the week. As the documentary By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. gangsta rap of that time, 1992, the year of William Ford, Jr.,s death. Ford again went to the auto shop and was killed. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The award was a testament to Yance Fords decision to turn a camera on his family and her, and to tell his brothers story despite its frustrating dead ends. Strong Island is just the beginning. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. When I spoke with Yance by phone, he was a mix of overwhelmed and composed. segregation of nineteen-sixties Charleston, South Carolina. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. "I actually misspelled the word 'odyssey' this morning," says Ford. According to them, no crime had been committed. . "Strong Island" is an example of how the justice system . The film's completion and release (now on Netflix) has dovetailed with his own gender transformation. 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Detroit, Michigan, U.S. William Clay "Bill" Ford Jr. (born May 3, 1957) is an American businessman, serving as executive chairman of Ford Motor Company. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. After an argument over the delays, In another move that sets, The truth is that the intensity of his surviving relatives emotions is so striking in Yances project that. She was implying that the way that the grand jury process and investigation had been handled was problematic. Ford began work on Strong Island, and his is the other absence mourned not armed, but during the first confrontation at the business he had It's not newit's just new to you. Ad Choices. Outside of the courtroom, they were the targets of intimidation by an shielded the white youth immediately, never doubting his testimony that Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Though questions of race and justice are raised, Yance Ford more often examines how he and the rest of his middle-class family dealt, or refused to deal, with the tragedy. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. "Strong Island" tells the story of the murder of 24-year-old Ford, a black teacher killed by a white 19-year-old mechanic named Mark Reilly in Long Island in 1992. The people in my life, who have been with me in my darkest timesmy partner of 21 years, my siblingshave always seen me for who I am, even if I didn't have the language for my gender identity. 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. There is no hint of Rodney King or the In Strong Island, Ford chronicles hisfamilys history from the Jim Crow South to the presumed safety of New Yorks middle-class suburbs, where the 1992murder of the directors brother raised deep issues of race, grief, injustice and gun violence. I'm afraid that our civil society is being torn apart bit by bitand not just by tweets and ridiculous statements about good people on both sides. He was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white mechanic. check on the car. . The film will launch globally on Netflix and in limited theatrical release in the fall. William Ford, Sr., 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. There's not a rhetorical question in the film. right, and then were destroyed by all the things that they thought he was frightened of Ford, a short but stocky young black man. Fords mother, Barbara Strong Island Anyone can read what you share. Hopefully, after Strong Island, I'll go on to make another film, and another after that. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. Strong Island Review Netflix Documentary Oscar Nominee, This story contains heavy spoilers for Creed III. 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. On Sept. 15, Netflix dropped new documentary Strong Island, . STRONG ISLAND chronicles the arc of the Ford family; Barbara Dunmore, William Ford and their three children, and how their lives have been shaped by the enduring college graduations, and photographs from the nineteen-seventies and Documentary chronicling how an investigation into a young black man's murder in 1992 turned into a personal journey for the brother of the victim. Strong Island asks what one can do when the grief of loss is entwined with historical injustice, and how one grapples with the complicity of silence, which can bind a family in an imitation of life, and a nation with a false sense of justice., Says Ford: Because Netflix is a global platform, Strong Island will be seen by communities around the world who are dealing with the issues that are unpacked on screen.
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