The Body Politic Film Reminds Us Why We Need Joy to Eradicate Violence
On Saturday, September 2 my life changed forever. I got a call that my dad had been shot and killed.
In the weeks since I’ve been through all sorts of emotions. One day, I’ll dedicate some time to sharing more on what this experience has been like but today is not that day.
One thing I will discuss, however, is the important role that community - and the joy found therein - has played in my healing journey. Not a moment has passed when my family and I haven’t been surrounded by love and support. For that, we are eternally grateful.
Though I have been limiting my social interaction lately as a means of self-care, I was intrigued when an invitation arrived in my inbox to screen a film during this year’s Heartland Film Festival.
The film, THE BODY POLITIC, directed by Baltimore native and filmmaker Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough, follows Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott as he fights to curb gun homicides in his beloved city through a grassroots initiative called Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS).
CLICK TO WATCH: THE BODY POLITIC available to view online now through Oct. 11
CLICK TO WATCH: THE BODY POLITIC available to view online now through Oct. 11
Mayor Brandon Scott poses in Baltimore City Hall
Baltimore, like my beloved home of Indianapolis, has been plagued by record-breaking homicide numbers for years on end. It is a problem that seems to have no end in sight.
The film expounds on this source of frustration as viewers see the media, other politicians and members of the community slam Scott’s idealistic yet dogged approach to stay the course despite the lack of an immediate fix to the problem of violent crime.
THE BODY POLITIC, does a great job of balancing this by consciously showcasing elements of healing and joy.
The Body Politic is a metaphor by which the people of a certain place are seen as one body,
reliant on one other for the well-being of the whole.
As one of the film’s central figures, Erricka Bridgeford, the Co-Founder of the Baltimore Peace Movement (formerly named Baltimore Ceasefire 365), points out, “Murder is persistent, so we have to be persistent.”
Activist Erricka Bridgeford sits near the site where a friend was recently murdered.
She has a smudge stick to bless the space.
What I appreciated most about this film, is that it found a way to shine a light on this major issue without sanitizing things or further triggering its viewers with grotesque imagery. What it did for me was remind me that in this fight to eradicate violence, we need everyone involved to make a difference and that JOY as Bridgeford said so well, fucks up murder’s plan.
I walked out of the theatre feeling affirmed and inspired. Yes, my grief is real and heavy but there is yet space for JOY in the midst of all of that. Yes, this is a multilayered issue and No, it will not be solved overnight but if we work together we can see a different world for ourselves both now and in the future.
