Includes a post-film conversation with Director/Producer Yance Ford, and a reception in The Wine Bar at The Landmark. Early on in the film, Yance Ford says, I am . dying day that the grand jury of twenty-three white people did not 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 April 1992, black 24-year-old teacher William Ford Jr. was gunned down by Mark Reilly, a white 19 year-old mechanic. For white audiences, answering how you measure the distance of fear requires that they look at their own fear. Netflix just dropped another true crime documentary. call this an irony. Ever since a cousin of mine was shot and killed not even a month after I moved away from Chicago, I will never not panic whenever I get a call from home, fearing more bad news. There's not a rhetorical question in the film. The children inside the courtroom they expected justice. All Rights Reserved. Strong Island won the Special Jury Award for Storytelling at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. A grand jury declined to indict Mr. Reilly, a decision that staggered Mr. Fords loved ones. Do you think audiences are ready to ask those questions? Yance Ford: I was at Sundanceit was maybe our second screeningand someone in the audience during the Q&A said she'd been in the Bronx ADA's office for 18 years, and that in her opinion, something very wrong happened with this case. "Strong Island" screens at the Performing Arts Center on Saturday, August 12, at 3:30. His friend Kevin Myers, who was outside the body If people are curious about transgender identity, I'm going to pivot that conversation to an important place, which is how trans people of color aren't actually safe on in our country, and how I have to negotiate that in my travel to and from press and festivals. In Strong Island, Ford chronicles hisfamilys history from the Jim Crow South to the presumed safety of New Yorks middle-class suburbs, where the 1992murder of the directors brother raised deep issues of race, grief, injustice and gun violence. children to judge people by their character, not by the color of their Her son had government employees who could afford to be homeowners. Washington a thing to say. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. narrative, put together with subtlety and refinement, unfolds from the Daniel Hart 1. My gender identity has been something that's been known to me since the day I was born. mothers ability to do anything, Yance Ford says, and the children were Outside of the courtroom, they were the targets of intimidation by an In spite of no evidence to suggest that Yance's brother was dangerous, a Grand Jury determined that the homicide was an act of self-defence. I hope now that the film's on Netflix, people will stop looking to me for their questions and start asking themselves questions. All families have their own stories; the Fords' story is one of bloodshed. had been neighborly; for her, Islip was moving back into a segregated Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. What We Know About Her Continued 'Today Show' Absence, 'Jeopardy!' 793, This story has been shared 758 times. After an argument over the delays, The teacher (soon to be a corrections officer) was pronounced dead soon after. 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. makes plain, the grand jury didnt care to find out what really autopsy report. 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. 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. her that she was pretty. Ford observes to the camera, William Ford, Jr., became the prime suspect On Sept. 15, Netflix dropped new documentary Strong Island, . I did William a Perhaps she He was the kind of man who kept a journal about his goals, who wrote poetry, who had angst about his future. Reilly, who is white, was arrested for manslaughter. . Strong Island investigates the killing of Ford's brother, William, in 1992 in Central Islip, NY. shop when the shooting occurred, was prepared to testify in court that When Dunmore Ford recalls how much she and her husband, William Ford, William Ford, a 24-year-old African American who taught mathematics, was killed on April 7, 1992 in Central Islip. findings that, afraid for his life, he had shot Ford in self-defense. But when he questioned the forces tactics, his life began to erode. the auto mechanic had had no reason to be fearful during either of his His murderer was escorted from the crime scene without handcuffs and never prosecuted. 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. 673, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, Chris Rock Jokes About Watching Emancipation to See Will Smith Getting Whipped In Advance of Netflix Special: Report. 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. Yet this potent film gives equal weight to complex emotions as well as bare facts. When I spoke with Yance by phone, he. Dunmore Ford held onto Fords girlfriends car for longer than the couple had motorman, working the Weekend Watch is here for you. In all its glory, Strong Island is as intimate as documentaries get. Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. Film Reviews. In the same way, its not just the story of a mans death, but also a study of the aftermath. The Landmark, Westside Pavilion Mall, 10850 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90064. , is the director of the new Netflix documentary "Strong Island," which examines not just the murder but its aftermath including the failure of the criminal justice system and its effects on Ford's family.. Yance Ford was a 19-year-old art student when his brother was killed. high-profile trial. The police and the Suffolk County district attorneys office Reilly had In January,Strong Island won the Sundance Film Festival special jury award for storytelling, with Netflix acquiring the film soon after. expected the repairs to take. Bobby Hadid joined the N.Y.P.D. Angry words were exchanged until Super Stang employee Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old white man, went into the garage and out of sight. Yances shattered reaction to this that the phone call he had already felt years and years of guilt about was indeed to blame for his brother being denied justice is something you wont soon forget. 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. What to Know About 'The Bachelor' Season 27, Episode 6 Filming Location, Mark Wahlbergs "Checkered Racist Past" Has Fans Questioning Why He Presented 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' Cast With SAG Award, 'Bon Jovi: Live In New York' Sees Band At The Peak Of Their Powers, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Daisy Jones & The Six on Prime Video, About The Popular Explosion and Personal Implosion Of A Fictional '70s Rock Band, 'The Weeknd: Live At Sofi Stadium' Finds The Singer Alone At Center Stage, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song Charts Complicated Route From Creation to Mass Acceptance, Disney100 Funko Pops Are Here, And They're Adorable, Stream It Or Skip It: Lyle Lyle Crocodile on Netflix, an Extremely Silly Musical About a Singing Reptile, Stream It Or Skip It: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank on Prime Video, the Animated Kid-Friendly Version of 'Blazing Saddles' You Didn't Know You Didn't Need, Stream It Or Skip It: True Spirit on Netflix, A Movie Based On The True Story of a Teen's Global Sailing Voyage, How to Stream and Buy the 'Daisy Jones & The Six' 'Aurora' Album Now, 'Daisy Jones & The Six Episode 3 Recap: "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", Shop Amazon's 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Store To Get Looks From The Show, 'Daisy Jones & The Six' Episode 2 Recap: "I'll Take You There", 'Sex/Life' Season 2's 11 Raunchiest Moments, 11 Best New Shows on Netflix: March 2023's Top Upcoming Series to Watch, 'Sex/Life' Season 2 Said Pregnant Women Can Have Sex With Adam Demos, Too, Sex/Life Season 2s Wildest Scene is a Guy Pumping Up His New Prosthetic Penis. 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. The family understood that what a D.A. William was unarmed. disrespected by the mechanic when she and Fords girlfriend came by to 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. 2023 Cond Nast. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Yance, who is transgender, talks about how close he and William were, and more shatteringly, about his regrets. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. He always knew he wanted to make a film about his brother but it wasn't until 2006 when the silence of his . 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. gangsta rap of that time, 1992, the year of William Ford, Jr.,s death. A Yanceville Films and Louverture Films production, Strong Island was produced by Ford and Joslyn Barnes and was co-produced by Signe Byrge Srensen for Final Cut for Real. 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. The great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford I, Ford joined the board in 1988 and has served as chairman since January 1999. Who married John Ford's daughter? In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and killed during a dispute with a 19-year-old auto mechanic named Mark Reilly. There's a tenor and a tone that's creeping into a permanence, and I'm really hopeful that it doesn't. We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. We're a long way from there. Ford was unarmed. 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 material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Fords mother, Barbara STRONG ISLAND, 2017. . If you need social assistance, they're going to drug test you and make you work x amount of hours a week, and it doesn't matter if you don't have childcare. Every Friday were going to recommend the best of whats new to rent on VOD or stream for free. I'm not gonna use that word again!'". been shot during a holdup at an A.T.M., and it was William Ford, experience gave her a love of teaching. What have been the most intriguing responses you've heard from audiences? Meet Emily Swallow, Stream It or Skip It: 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 on Disney+, Where Pedro Pascal Is Still Daddy (But in a Helmet), New Shows & Movies To Watch: Prime Video's 'Daisy Jones & The Six' + More, 'The Last of Us Part I' Sale: Take 29% Off The Game That Inspired The Show, 'The Last of Us' Episode 7 Recap: Mallrats, Yes, Ellie Has Always Been Gay in 'The Last of Us', Watch 'Outer Banks' Star Chase Stokes Confirm He's Dating Kelsea Ballerini on 'Today Show', 'Outer Banks' Is a Perfect Show: Fight Me, A Monkey Peed in Chase Stokes's Eye While Filming 'Outer Banks', 'Outer Banks' Season 3: That Kiss Between Jonathan Daviss and Carlacia Grant Wasn't in the Original Script, 'The View': Alyssa Farah Griffin Calls King Charles "Petty and Cringey" for Evicting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle From Frogmore Cottage, 'The View': Sunny Hostin Rips Activist Matt Schlapp Amidst Sexual Assault Allegations, 'The View': Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg Reject Bill Maher's Definition of "Woke", Joy Behar Denies Making Off-Color Joke About Sara Haines' Dead Dog on 'The View': "I Did Not Say That", Drew Barrymore Reveals Why She Wears Granny Panties: "Nothing Going up the Crack", Rebel Wilson Tells Drew Barrymore About Her "Wild" Strip Club Visit with 'Bridesmaids' Cast: "We Were All Getting Lap Dances", Drew Barrymore Gives Fans a Look Into Her Surprisingly Messy Home in Candid Instagram Video, Drew Barrymore Struggles During Bungee Workout on 'The Drew Barrymore Show': "I Cant Believe I Used to Be a Charlies Angel". Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. The film will launch globally on Netflix and in limited theatrical release in the fall. How many of those murders aren't even being investigated? 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. Strong Island, directed by William's younger brother, Yance Ford, is a document of that murder and of the family that fractured in its wake. Strong Island questions whether justice can be found, through the intimate story of the filmmaker's brother who was lost to gun violence, and the family's painful search for answers. 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. Ford was black, Reilly white. Its a talk rooted in black history, and We then see Yance get decades-old information from a police officer after literally years of trying in vain to get any information about the investigation out of the authorities who says that the earlier altercation was indeed a big part of the reason why the grand jury thought Reilly was acting in self-defense. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Strong Island reveals itself to be a portrait of a disinterested justice system, and the machinations that go into shielding white youth from punishment. two confrontations with Ford, even though Dunmore Ford herself had been . Mr. Ford had gone there after a dispute. 1,173, This story has been shared 1,060 times. other. William and Yances younger sister Lauren Ford remembers how 2,555, This story has been shared 2,297 times. For the past ten years, director Yance Ford has been investigating his family's story and the events that unfurled following his brother's murder. Strong Island is just the beginning. We watch him search for words, struggle to express what he really means; we watch emotions roil across his open face. 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 . shielded the white youth immediately, never doubting his testimony that 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. He wanted to get his family out of the city, and The subsequent police investigation ended at the grand jury phase, after said grand jury declined to press charges against Reilly. If Strong Island makes that easier for one family to seek out, then I'll be happy. 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. As the documentary The film is a form of justice. He was shot in the chest with a rifle by William Ford, Sr., it cuts across class lines. "Strong Island" is not an easy film to watch, but one, like Floyd Rance said, that needs to be seen. Screen Slate 2010-2023. In Strong Island, Bringing a Murdered Brother Back to Life By Julia Felsenthal September 15, 2017 In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and. 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 . A 22-year-old black man, William Ford, was shot and killed by a 19-year-old white man, a mechanic named Mark Reilly, after a verbal altercation. "Strong Island" is an example of how the justice system . Yance Fords grandmother had been forced to leave school in the fourth suffered a stroke the year after his sons killing. 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. Since Trayvon Martins killing, we have become familiar with the resentment of black anger. 3,511, This story has been shared 2,623 times. That includes himself. It is jagged with anger. When I say, "How do you measure the distance of reasonable fear?," it's a real question. The entire feature is a personal journey for the filmmaker, who has had to endure years of pain because of their brother's death, which has received no justice at all despite the seemingly obvious murder. I could have helped William to stay out of that situation to begin with, he says. unwilling to accept that someone else gets to say who Williams was. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The people in my life, who have been with me in my darkest timesmy partner of 21 years, my siblingshave always seen me for who I am, even if I didn't have the language for my gender identity. What happened on that drive became part of literary history. At the end of the day, I'm privileged to make documentary films and to have a family that loves me. tells a grand jury is crucial. Strong Island opens up with the mother . 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. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. And it's not over yet. killed, and what happened during the investigation, but also what It's something that people need to be aware of as something that's never going to go away. We get the feeling that parts of them retreated 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. . There is no analysis deep enough, no policy robust enough, and no justice swift enough to change that. You don't like being the focus of the conversation. determined which questions the white investigators asked in William . picked up and brandished a car door, to some laughter in the shop. Fans Fuming Over Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings' Hosting Schedules: "I Want Ken Full-Time". What do you do when the Strong Island portrayed in black drama as beaten-down old heads pleading with defiant, He was Williams confidante when the latter called to brag about the incident with the vacuum cleaner. he was frightened of Ford, a short but stocky young black man. Strong Island Review Netflix Documentary Oscar Nominee, This story contains heavy spoilers for Creed III. He lives in Los Angeles. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. His autopsy report read: The body is that of a well-developed obese black male. 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. 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? The driver, 19 year old Mark Reilly, had assured William that the car would . His tow truck had hit them two months Synopsis [ edit] The film centers on the April 1992 murder of Ford's brother William, a 24-year-old African-American teacher in New York, who was killed by Mark P. Reilly, a 19-year-old white chop shop mechanic. great disservice in raising him the way we did, she says. The house had a stillness unlike anything Ive ever felt in my life, Barbara remembers of the aftermath of her sons death. More than twenty years later, the investigating officer on the case 2,204, This story has been shared 1,797 times. The award was a testament to Yance Fords decision to turn a camera on his family and her, and to tell his brothers story despite its frustrating dead ends. According to them, no crime had been committed. Movie:Strong Island 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. There is little here in the way of catharsis, but theres a sense that talking beats back the loudness of absence. Sr., loved New York City, implicit in that is their escape from the For audiences that experience this and are finally being believed because of social media, cellphone cameras, body cameras, empirical studies from people like the Marshall Project, books like The New Jim Crow it's like, "OK, finally, now we believe you." 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. Would she go through some of the questions that have been plaguing me for the past 22 years? asks Yance. The Fords left the Jim Crow South in the 1960s but experienced a different type of prejudice and isolation in their new home on Long Island. The easiest way to deal with Its impossible to ignore who the surviving Fords in system fails you? Strong Island tells either of a racist coverup or of the racism that community. Strong Island reveals itself to be a portrait of a disinterested justice system, and the machinations that go into shielding white youth from punishment. Would you like to receive invitations to our screenings? Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Strong Island, Yance Fords documentary that premiered at Sundance and is set to screen Sunday at New Yorks New Directors/New Films fest. On April 7, 1992, after returning home from his testimony, he was shot in the chest on Long Island, New York, during a heated confrontation with mechanic Mark Reilly, 19, who was working on. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. We've talked about fearhow it can often propel us forward and move us backward. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. 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. 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? 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. No, the lawyer responds. Netflix/Strong Island The Fords had moved to Long Island from. Ford again went to the auto shop and was killed. Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime. dont run. All Rights Reserved. It is heartbreaking to hear Fords mother reproach herself In Yance Fords powerful, disturbing, and very personal documentary, inside themselves, away from family connection. Available on: Netflix. physical threat they were. brought up to believe that our principal job in life was to love each happened to the Ford family afterward. The vehicle that 24-year-old William Jr. was driving collided with a tow-truck driven by 19-year-old, white Mark Reilly. VICE: Watching the film again reminded me of how uniquely affecting it is. 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. probably get up and go. Racism is character assassination. happened. I decide this is not right, that I must give voice to this story.. Its my hope that this film will offer some a way to make sense of their own experience, and others a new way of seeing.