I feel that all the work that I did was worthwhile if it can just convey that message. We did it in a really controlled way, and I felt what it was like to have someone trying to get to you when you haven’t done anything. ![]() When you see it, if you haven’t lived it or experienced it, you don’t know, but I remember how it felt. I can understand how someone can call out for their mother. You know what I’m saying? Not made in Hollywood, just saying.įaison: Piggybacking on that, I’d just like to say for me personally, when I see all these other things that have happened since then, after having done this film - because I’ve had five policemen come in and lie on my chest in a controlled environment - I remember how that felt. ![]() What are you going to do about it? How are we going to fix this? What mechanisms are we going to put in place so that in the future, there won’t be situations like what happened to Kenneth Chamberlain Senior?įreeman: Hollywood. For my family, I hope that it will force the city of White Plains to hold its officers accountable and say, you screwed up, and now, Hollywood sees you screwed up. And I just hope that the film, as Morgan said, is going to wake people up. It’s about all the lives that have been lost this pandemic of killing black men, women and children. And the hope now is that for me, I always say it’s bigger than my dad. We call it extrajudicial killing and summary executions. Sarachan: How do you think the traumas that this country has experienced will inform the way that we view it now?Ĭhamberlain Jr.: What we saw during a pandemic where a police officer placed his knee on the neck of a black man and killed him is something that we’ve been talking about forever. ![]() This is not you, but in order for you to make this real and to make this film work, you need to just let that go and do it. He said, “I have a real problem saying that - I can’t say that word.” I just took him aside and said, look, this is what we do. The one that I remember that was most touching for me is the one who played the young cop when they break in. Sarachan: Did you and your fellow castmates have any conversations beforehand when handling such upsetting material?įaison: Only a couple of times. (Photo by James Patterson/Getty Images) Getty Images Madidi on Septemin Clarksdale, Mississippi. It was a complete collaboration of everybody, and that is what moves me so much about it.ĬLARKSDALE, MS - SEPTEMBER 23: Actor Morgan Freeman sits at the bar in his upscale restaurant. You also have the element of the people in the hall who are trying to make some sense out of this situation. If you didn’t have his character in the film, it would be one-sided, but there was that element. You can’t forget about those people on the other side of the door, including the police officers. I’m an ensemble kind of a person, and I feel like this is such an ensemble piece. I could not have done the things I did without them. I mean, I’m the central character of the film, but all of these people came in with their commitment and dedication and heart to take this journey together. You say this is a one-man thing, but with every single individual in this film, I could not have done the work I did without them. I deal with that, and then I deal with the honesty of the situation. So, my preparation is that first, I begin with what the writer has given me, and the writer David Midell gave me something that was amazing to work with. And I was a little bit taken by surprise by the impact this film has demonstrated so far in its short life. I embrace it, and I’m going to do the best I can. ![]() As an actor, I just go into it saying, I like it. I don’t go into a film thinking, this is going to be a great film. But it all came about sort of as a flood gate just opens up, and one thing led to another and another. That drew me in, and all of these things that have happened since we made this film, I am very happy about them, because it’s the essence of what I want to do and make in my life in theatre and film. I was just handed a script that told a very compelling story. How did you make this role real for yourself?įrankie Faison: First off, I didn’t know of Kenneth Chamberlain or his importance or anything. Sararchan: Frankie, you give such a phenomenal performance in the film. So how can we help, what can we do to promote it? I didn’t know anything about the Kenneth Chamberlain incident, but after the movie was made, like everyone else who has seen it, I just came away with the idea that this is a story that really should be told, has been told well. Morgan Freeman: My relationship to this story didn’t exist until now. Sarachan: Morgan, how did you first learn about this story?
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