Sundance-winning documentary examining the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go...
Sundance-winning documentary examining the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free.
"In 1992, filmmaker Yance Ford’s brother William was shot and killed by a 19-year-old white mechanic after a common complaint about a car repair spiraled violently out of control. The mechanic claimed he fired in self-defense, and though William was unarmed, he quickly became the prime suspect in his own death. When an all-white grand jury set the shooter free, Yance’s family retreated into a silent fury. Twenty years later, Strong Island invents a startling cinematic language to penetrate this devastating collision of paralysis, grief, fear, racism, and injustice." (Sundance Film Festival)
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100 %47 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
57 %690 reviewsAudience score rating
"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."
Variety"Ford is more than a witness-he is a crucial participant in the events of the film, and its elements of pain and guilt are reflected in his grief-stricken, self-interrogating aesthetic."
The New Yorker"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."
The New York Times"The documentary won't bring William Ford back, and it may give Yance Ford some catharsis, but more importantly it could and should lead to greater justice and empowerment."
The Guardian"25 years later, Yance can't escape the pain of a brother's death - forgotten by so many others - and the frame becomes a confining enclosure for a sibling's anguish coming out of every pore."
Screen Daily"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."
Hollywood ReporterStrong Island | Details
Award winner- Winner of the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Storytelling, 2017 Sundance Film Festival
- Runtime
- 107
- Genre
- Documentary
- Country of origin
- USA, Denmark
