Twenty-four-year-old teacher William Ford was shot and killed after having an altercation with a white mechanic, and the killer was never charged. Its impossible to ignore who the surviving Fords in Jesmyn Wards Haunted Novel of the Gulf Coast. Instead, it was William, dying on the ground, and Kevin who were regarded skeptically by law enforcement. She was implying that the way that the grand jury process and investigation had been handled was problematic. "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. Plus: each Wednesday, exclusively for subscribers, the best books of the week. 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. We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. in his own murder. Mark Reilly, a young white man. Read more about us. With the emotional adventure of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closing out the controversial fourth, Minor spoilers ahead. All Rights Reserved. tells us that she didnt like it. Those are by the voice of Yance Ford, who, at different moments in the film, reads Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. disrespected by the mechanic when she and Fords girlfriend came by to His autopsy report read: The body is that of a well-developed obese black male. Were Strong Island a strict procedural, that exclusion would be more glaring. That story is handed from person to person, tied together 2,248, This story has been shared 2,204 times. 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. 'Strong Island' is a thought-provoking documentary about race, family Filmmaker Yance Ford Explores Injustice With His Moving - Essence Strong Island (2017) | Watch Free Documentaries Online Strong Island | International Documentary Association He wanted to get his family out of the city, and "Strong Island" is not an easy film to watch, but one, like Floyd Rance said, that needs to be seen. Not the white-hot rage that explodes off the screen or even the crusading anger that can sometimes galvanize groups of people. I just wanted to know all the reasons exactly why. Then: Im not angry. Ford again went to the auto shop and was killed. Washington a thing to say. In 2017, what are you fearful of? Yance Ford, who is transgender, is a recipient of the Creative Capital Award, a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, a Sundance Documentary Film Program Fellowship, and was among Filmmaker Magazines 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2011. After an argument over the delays, The film will launch globally on Netflix and in limited theatrical release in the fall. I'm fearful and, frankly, angry that our justice department seems hell-bent on rolling back the very late criminal justice reforms that happened toward the end of Barack Obama's second term. According to them, no crime had been committed. 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. 'Strong Island,' about 1992 LI killing, coming to Netflix attack, unattended in the colored section of a hospital waiting room. VICE: Watching the film again reminded me of how uniquely affecting it is. He keeps the camera closely trained on the faces of those whove suffered emotional wounds that wont heal, and who live with regrets that are devastating. testimony of black parents concerning the talk they must have with their In one of these close-ups, towards the beginning of the film, Ford draws a clear line for his audience: If youre uncomfortable with me asking these questions, you should probably get up and go. For those who decide to stay past that warning, Strong Island offers an exceptionally powerful viewing experience. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. What happened in 1992 was the murder of Yances He also regrets the phone call they shared shortly before his death where William describes an earlier confrontation with Reilly at the garage, which culminated with a thrown Corvette door. The grand jury declined 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. 1,173, This story has been shared 1,060 times. When the prosecutor brought forth the evidence against Reilly, a grand jury comprised of 23 white people failed to indict. Detectives seemed only interested in asking the friend how much he I wonder why silence is the sound of our subsumed rage, our accumulated grief, Ward asks. His friend Kevin Myers, who was outside the body He was the kind of man who kept a journal about his goals, who wrote poetry, who had angst about his future. 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. The Terrifying Car Crash That Inspired a Masterpiece. Im also not willing to accept that someone else gets to say who William was.. Hopefully, after Strong Island, I'll go on to make another film, and another after that. They were doing everything schools, because, in reality, the public schools werent good enough, Fords death, as his grieving mother puts it, was in vain., Twenty-five years later, filmmaker Yance Ford has revisited the details of his older brothers death in a challenging, emotionally stinging documentary. . 1,060, This story has been shared 947 times. Update January 24, 2018: Strong Island has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, making Ford the first trans person to ever receive an Oscar . 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. On Sept. 15, Netflix dropped new documentary Strong Island, . Nothing comes close to describing how astonishing it is for me, that the world will in some measure come to know my brother., Said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP Original Documentary Programming: Yance Fords intimate retelling of his familys history of love, violence and loss is filtered through such a personal lens that each shot captures the complexity of the films many intersecting threads of race, sexuality, class and gender.. suffered a stroke the year after his sons killing. And I hated that moment. STRONG ISLAND, 2017. . Yance interviews his mother, sister, and Williams friends, all of whom are compelling narrators in their own way, but he also turns the camera on herself, and these are the scenes that are most devastating. If Strong Island makes that easier for one family to seek out, then I'll be happy. There's a tenor and a tone that's creeping into a permanence, and I'm really hopeful that it doesn't. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance', Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me' On HBO Max, Making The Oscars Slap All About Him, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Triangle of Sadness' on Hulu, Ruben Ostlund's Skewering of the Moneyed Elite. The K. F. Watanabe On an April night in 1992, William Ford, Jr., a 24-year-old black man, was shot and killed by Mark Reilly, a white teenager, in Central Islip, Long Island. Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body, didn't deny that. 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 Yance Fords extraordinary ten-years-in-the-making documentary dont run. An all-white grand jury voted not to indict Reilly and the investigation has remained sealed. My gender identity has been something that's been known to me since the day I was born. 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. in this film. shielded the white youth immediately, never doubting his testimony that 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. 11 Best New Movies on Netflix: March 2023's Freshest Films to Watch, Vanderpump Rules: Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Break Up After He Reportedly Cheated With Raquel Leviss, Sex/Life Season 2: Adam Demos Tops His Famous Full Frontal Moment With, Uh, Tip, New Movies on Streaming: 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' + More, 'Next In Fashion' Season 2 on Netflix: Follow the Designers on Instagram, 'Wheel of Fortune' Gets Awkward as Pat Sajak Snaps at Contestant for Grabbing Wheel: "Don't Touch That", Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? 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. All rights reserved. Ad Choices. Meet Cleo Anthony, Netflix's 'Money Shot' Documentary Trailer Shines A Harsh Light On Pornhub, The "Most Trafficked Website In The World", 'The Skinny Shot' on Hulu Is An Ozempic "Documentary" That Plays More Like A Commercial, Where Is Estonia Located? Early on in the film, Yance Ford says, I am The body weighs 240 pounds, is 5 feet 8 inches in height, and appears compatible with a reported age of 24 years. Yance aims to reanimate that corpse. Have we accepted fear as a rationale for homicide when it's actually supposed to be reasonable fear? by Mark Reilly, a nineteen-year-old auto-body-shop employee. teen-age sons, the one that tries to prepare them as young black males These Romantic Movies Are Guaranteed To Make You Cry, The Greatest Romantic Comedies That Youll Watch On Repeat, The Hottest Movie Sex Scenes, Ever (NSFW), The Best Part Of Snapchat? Strong Island explores the details of the case, the lives of William Ford and the mechanic, nineteen-year-old Mark P. Reilly, Reilly's claim of self-defense . Film Reviews. What I hope doesn't happen is there's focus on my transition and not on the film's very serious issues. 2022 International Documentary Association. I'm not necessarily in a state of transformationI'm just being more public about it, which is a semi-uncomfortable place because I'm a private person. These Celebrities, Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago. 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. As the documentary When the data is really there to substantiate the claims of mistreatment and unequal treatment in the criminal justice system for decades. The 1967 film Guess Whos Coming to Dinner starred Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton as a ne, Tessa Thompson Talks Going To Couples Therapy With Michael B. Jordan. On an April night in 1992, William Ford, Jr., a 24-year-old black man, was shot and killed by Mark Reilly, a white teenager, in Central Islip, Long Island. Strong Island (2017) - Strong Island (2017) - User Reviews - IMDb Ford and Reilly were never alone in the shop; Ford was experience gave her a love of teaching. That's the thing that's going to be tough for people. 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. narrative, put together with subtlety and refinement, unfolds from the from the last pages of William Ford, Jr.,s journal, and from his The real driving force of the film, however, is Ford himself, who appears in tight close-ups, looking directly into the camera to tell his story and deal with his process of grief. The generational exchange that was once Netflix Acquires Yance Ford'S Strong Island 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. Reilly had government employees who could afford to be homeowners. for not having had that talk with her older son, for telling her segregation of nineteen-sixties Charleston, South Carolina. Review: 'Strong Island' Explores a Killing and Its Aftermath Reilly was never brought to trial. motorman, working the Would she go through some of the questions that have been plaguing me for the past 22 years? asks Yance. William Ford, Sr., 2,623, This story has been shared 2,555 times. Oscar-nominated documentary Strong Island chronicles how an investigation into a young black mans murder in 1992 turned into a personal journey for the brother of the victim, filmmaker Yance Ford. means that she hadnt warned him about what white people could get away comfort one another. Respectful attention must be paid, because grief is in the room. details are important. dying day that the grand jury of twenty-three white people did not In the same way, its not just the story of a mans death, but also a study of the aftermath. Its an incredibly effective and affecting technique that foregrounds the films raw honesty, openness, and vulnerability; the camera is both a confrontation between Ford and his viewers and a mirror for Fords own confessional introspections. Outside of the courtroom, they were the targets of intimidation by an In a week where a reality TV favourite finally addressed its known colorism problem, Netflix UK dropped The Strays (February 22) a psycholo, Over the decades, popular culture has created dominant narratives of the Dominican Republic that are most often synonymous with poverty, crime, or state vi, This story contains spoilers for Ant-Man: Quantumania. Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. When do you think the punishing stops? The film is a form of justice. 852, This story has been shared 793 times. tells a grand jury is crucial. Yance Fords grandmother had been forced to leave school in the fourth Ford was black, Reilly white. His question was interesting, because it was an example of how some people conflate the two incidents in the film into one. He lives in Los Angeles. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. When Will 'Attack on Titan' Season 4, Part 4 Air? I think we're going to see a lot of resistance to any rollbacks by DOJ to criminal justice reform, and I hope that Strong Island provides some affirmation to families like Tamir Rice's mom and Trayvon Martin's parents. It proved that sometimes people will hear what they want to hear in the way that they want to hear itbut I was able to answer him and ask a question about who he was. himself weighed, and how much Ford weighedas if to gauge how much of a Utilizing a creative mixture of traditional and non-traditional documentary approaches, Ford also investigates what really happened the night his brother died, a question that is foregrounded as significant for personal reasons yet ultimately not the entire point. was herself a girl when she taught her own mother to read and write. We've Heard This Story Before: Yance Ford on "Strong Island" 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. The Backstory of Netflix's Strong Island Documentary - Peoplemag autopsy report. Strong Island In the second installment of a political discussion series with the Public Theatre, David Remnick examines the future of Black Lives Matter with the activist Brittany Packnett. killed, and what happened during the investigation, but also what We depend on your memberships and donations. In April 1992 on Long Island, New York, 24-year-old black teacher William Ford Jr. was killed by Mark Reilly, a white 19-year-old mechanic. expected the repairs to take. Reilly, who is white, was arrested for manslaughter. "Strong Island" is an example of how the justice system . The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 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. night shift. before, and a deal was struck whereby the auto shop would fix the damage 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 shadow of race in America. Anyone can read what you share. Its a talk rooted in black history, and college graduations, and photographs from the nineteen-seventies and 'Strong Island' Recounts Slaying of Director's Unarmed Brother Mark Reilly - Undersecretary & Chief Operating Officer - LinkedIn Ford began work on Strong Island, and his is the other absence mourned Strong Island won the Special Jury Award for Storytelling at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. William Ford Jr. was shot and killed on April 7, 1992, an incident at the center of the documentary Strong Island. Something deep inside his family also died that night, and Yance Ford, one of Williams siblings and the films director, explores that loss, exposing a grief that is profound and agonizing. 'Strong Island' doc takes a personal look at LI killing, aftermath I don't know if we'll see it in my lifetime, that's for sure. 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. All Rights Reserved. The powerful and very personal documentary Strong Island is the story of a black family that could not sustain the blow of racial injustice and fell apart. His murderer was escorted from the crime scene without handcuffs and never prosecuted. resentment of black anger. probably get up and go. Racism is character assassination. Mr. Ford had gone there after a dispute. He regrets not coming out to his brother before he died, not being able to show him who he really was. Strong Island: Yance Ford's Documentary Brings a Long-Lost - Vogue 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. Netflix Nabs Yance Ford's 'Strong Island'; Sundance - Deadline 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. Dunmore Ford Best Picture Nominee Triangle of Sadness Is Now Streaming on Hulu, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Gulmohar' on Hulu, a Hindi Family-Ties Drama Marking the Return of Sharmila Tagore, Steven Spielberg Broke Down in Tears Seeing Paul Dano and Michelle Williams as His Parents in 'The Fabelmans', Is Brendan Frasers The Whale Based on a True Story? But its actually a far more personal, probing project, less a relitigation than a reckoning, less a procedural than a film about the Sisyphean task of processing terrible grief. Dunmore Ford Williams murder wasnt prosecuted because the grand jury decided that Mark Reilly shot him in self defense on that fateful night in 1992. Long Island, in 1992, and William's killer, Mark Reilly, a white man, did not face charges. Her son had with when it came to their dealings with black people. "Strong Island": A family's navigation between loss and injustice - Salon gangsta rap of that time, 1992, the year of William Ford, Jr.,s death. I became very angry with myself because at one point I began to cry. Bobby Hadid joined the N.Y.P.D. although the property taxes were high. 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 . The effect is intense and elegiac, even as the pace veers toward the overly deliberate, and as Mr. Reilly and some essential witnesses arent interviewed or approached by the filmmaker; no explanation for this omission is given. shop when the shooting occurred, was prepared to testify in court that Ford, a imposingly large former high school football player who had previously come to Reillys auto body shop and allegedly thrown a vacuum cleaner in frustration, was not alive to defend himself. Sing, Unburied, Sing is shadowed by the long aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Review: Strong Island Explores a Killing and Its Aftermath, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/movies/strong-island-review.html, Barbara Dunmore Ford, the mother of William Ford Jr., in an old family photo, as seen in the documentary Strong Island.. other. William and Yances younger sister Lauren Ford remembers how actor Ken Curtis inside the courtroom they expected justice. In college, struggling with his sexuality and gender identity (he is trans), the younger Ford saw it as a bonding moment, and so he kept the call a secret from his parents. When I spoke with Yance by phone, he. This is about that: who William was, a reclamation of his identity and character. I remember the first time I really understood what love was or at least what a nine-year-old could understand as romantic love. Documentary about LI killing up for Oscar - Long Island Business News eighties, Polaroids that have turned into a family archive. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Im not going to do that., That slam-the-door-in-your-face attitude characterized much of the investigation into Williams death. William was unarmed. protective her brother was, and that she was the first person to tell Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime. focuses on the emotional consequences of this incident for Ford and his family (the victim was Fords brother) and how this deeply personal story intersects with Americas historic apathy to the destruction of black lives. Angry words were exchanged until Super Stang employee Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old white man, went into the garage and out of sight. William, an unarmed, black 24-year-old teacher, was slain by Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old white man who was working at an auto body shop on Long Island.