Matters: A Rising; A Video Documentary
Matters: A Rising
A Documentary Film By Danielle Imara and Yolande Brener
Matters: A Rising from Danielle Imara on Vimeo.
Brener and Imara first worked simultaneously across the Atlantic in 2014 when they revised and self-published their memoirs: Imara's CRACK, and Brener's Holy Candy. In 2019 -2020 they created the Y&I series of micro short films and in 2020 they made a music video for Band of Holy Joy. Matters: A Rising is their first documentary piece.
Their body of collaborative work can be found at www.brenimara.com
Imara’s recent work focuses on collective eco performance (Be-coming Tree Events) and creative video and sound art. They are also involved with live art gang FBI+A. Brener is working on a graphic memoir version of Holy Candy. She teaches writing for the City University of New York, and also works as a teleprompter operator for broadcast television.
Inquiry
The following has been provided by the filmmakers:
The thousands that turned out globally to protest George Floyd’s murder by police would seem to indicate a hopeful trend of awareness and social action in relation to racial injustice and inequality. But the speakers in Matters A: Rising did not express optimism. They seemed to find the outlook bleak.
The most positive response was from Felice Neals who said she felt ‘humbled and proud’ while also placing the 2020 protests in the context of a small step in a very long journey.
Is this lack of hope a natural outcome of centuries of white supremacy and oppression? Even if there are protests, Les Child still sees white people's ‘legs twitch’ as he walks by. And perhaps even more so, due to media reports of violent protests.
Where all seemed to feel the least hope, was in terms of fighting the ‘media machine’, a money-led many-headed beast that churns out negative Black stereotypes infecting all of society.
But if there is no hope, then why protest?
Is protest just an expression of anger? The thousands that knelt quietly in protest, surely were not simply venting their anger. People are seeking change. This surely indicates hope that change is possible