Strong Island
Film poster
Directed byYance Ford
Produced byJoslyn Barnes
Yance Ford
CinematographyAlan Jacobsen
Edited byJanus Billeskov Jansen
Music byHildur Guðnadóttir
Production
companies
Yanceville Films
Louverture Films
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • January 23, 2017 (2017-01-23) (Sundance Film Festival)
  • September 15, 2017 (2017-09-15)[1]
Running time
107 minutes

Strong Island is an American 2017 true-crime documentary film directed by Yance Ford.

Synopsis

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.[2][3] An all-white grand jury in Suffolk County declined to indict his killer, who claimed self-defense.[4]

Release and reception

The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.[5] Worldwide rights were acquired by Netflix.[6] It received a Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Documentary in 2017[7] and was nominated for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[8] It was also nominated for an Emmy in Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking that year.[9]

It received generally positive reviews from critics.[10][11] Inkoo Kang of TheWrap said the film "is a demanding, wrenching watch; an important work."[12] Bilge Ebiri of The Village Voice said the film is "truly special, especially as it moves towards its final act... the film is unflinching in its portrayal of their devastation after the loss of their eldest son."[13]

References

  1. ^ "Strong Island". Netflix Media Center. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  2. ^ Blasey, Laura (March 2, 2018). "Strong Island: The story behind the Long Island killing in the film". Newsday. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (February 4, 2017). "Sundance Film Review: 'Strong Island'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  4. ^ Harris, Chris (September 7, 2017). "Investigating My Brother's Killing: A Search for Answers Becomes a Netflix True Crime Documentary". People. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  5. ^ Harris, Brandon (January 24, 2017). "Yance Ford's Powerful Cinematic Memoir, "Strong Island"". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  6. ^ Evans, Greg (2017-03-17). "Netflix Nabs Yance Ford's 'Strong Island'; Sundance Doc Traces History Of A Murder". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  7. ^ Dry, Jude (November 30, 2017). "'Strong Island' Director Powerfully Breaks Down America's Race Problem with Danny Glover and Angela Davis — Watch". IndieWire. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  8. ^ Edelstein, Andy (January 23, 2018). "Yance Ford of 'Strong Island' is first trans director to be nominated for an Oscar". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  9. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Emmys.com. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  10. ^ "Strong Island (2017)". Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  11. ^ "Strong Island". Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via www.metacritic.com.
  12. ^ "'Strong Island' Review: Poignant Netflix Doc Covers Race, Crime and a Family's Pain". 15 September 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Sundance: The Best of This Year's Socially Conscious Docs and Features". 30 January 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2021.

External links

Awards for Strong Island
Categories