Baltimore Rising
Description
In April, 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year old African American man, died from spinal cord injuries incurred while being transported in a Baltimore police van after having been arrested for possession of a switchblade—or for “running while black,” in the words of a community member. In order to counter what she felt was sensationalized coverage of the incident in the mainstream press, actress and filmmaker Sonja Sohn (The Wire) set out to document the nuances and complexities of the events unfolding in the aftermath of Gray’s death. While protesters—both peaceful and violent—take to the streets and pre-trial hearings begin for the six officers implicated in the incident, Sohn’s compassionate film follows several local activists, police, and community leaders each trying in their own way to make a positive difference and effect change, though they are often on opposite sides of the conflict. With a divisive decision looming, they forge on as the city faces its troubled past and uncertain future. An HBO Documentary film.
Sonja Sohn’s first connection to Baltimore began when she was cast as Detective Kima Greggs on The Wire. This role led to becoming the founder and CEO of the Baltimore-based ReWired for Change, a non-profit outreach program working to empower at-risk youth. Before becoming an actress, she was a slam poet; spotted by Marc Levin, he cast her in a role in his film Slam (1998), which she ended up co-writing. For two seasons, she played Detective Samantha Baker in the ABC series Body of Proof. In 2011, she was presented with the Woman of the Year award from the Harvard Black Men’s Forum. Most recently, she has been seen in a recurring role as Captain Betty Audrey on Netflix’s Luke Cage.
Film Details
Language English
Year 2017
Runtime 93
Country USA
Director Sonja Sohn
Producer Nathan Mook, Karl Hollandt
Editor Ashwin S. Gandbhir
Cinematographer Cliff Charles
Print Source HBO Documentary Films