New to DVD this week:
STREET FIGHTING MEN
Director:
Andrew James
World Premiere:
IFF Boston 2017
Select Festivals:
San Francisco DocFest, Big Sky Doc, Freep, St Louis, Brooklyn, Rhode Island
About:
An observational portrait of three African-American men of different generations living in Detroit.
Shooting over several years, filmmaker Andrew James provides an intimate look at the struggles and resilience of three men trying in their own way to improve their lives and their community. The eldest, Jack Rabbit, is a retired police officer who still monitors local crime through a civilian neighborhood watch program; Deris is the youngest, who tries to leave his past criminal ways behind him after becoming a father; and, in the middle, Luke, who is attempting to singlehandedly remodel his own home. While the subjects are personable underdogs, their stories never intersect, making the film feel a bit episodic and disjointed, exacerbated by its too leisurely pace. Still the project provides welcome positive representations of strong African-American men, and succeeds in conveying an ultimately hopeful message.
what (not) to doc 