An intimate look at one black teenagers life and the struggles she faces while demonstrating the strength and courage it takes to survive. Expelled from high school, daje shelton is only 17 years old when she is sentenced by. The hollywood reporter a quietly impactful documentary with the texture of a narrative feature. The movie begins with daje shelton, known as boonie, then 17, visiting a courtroom after a school fight. By letting daje tell her own story, levine and van soests film proves that girlhood, love, and determination can exist anywhere, even amongst the rubble in the wake of ferguson, and in the most impoverished and forgotten corners of this country. For ahkeem is the comingofage documentary film story of daje shelton, a black 17yearold girl in north st. I am sorry but i just couldnt watch the rest of this documentary. This movie plays more like a feature film than a documentary. Louis is expelled from her public high school for fightin. Through dajes intimate coming of age story, for ahkeem illuminates.
For ahkeem follows the story of teenager daje bonnie shelton living in north st. For ahkeem exclusive the movie is in select cities now. As a 20162017 sundance creative producers fellow, and a 2016 impact partners creative producers fellow, iyabo is currently producing the feature documentaries charm circle by nira burstein, and for ahkeem by jeremy levine and landon van soest, which will premier at the 2017 berlin. Behind the headlines of ferguson, mo, is 17yearold daje boonie shelton, a young woman from nearby north st. For akeem is a documentary of a black girls life of poverty and crime. Here are 28 of the festivals best films you can stream right now.
Levine and landon van soest, but tells its very intimate story as if it were the cinematic diary made by its center focus, a 17yearold black american named daje boonie shelton. Encourage others to host their own screening in their communities as well. A hkeem as a boys name has its root in arabic, and ahkeem means wise, intelligent. One of the most startling and lingering sequences begins when the films subject daje shelton and her mother sit. But growing up in a tough neighborhood, she cant catch a break. The only reason i watched this documentary was to see how the director and his team had been able to cover all the major issues that were involved in the film. This exact predicament faced my guests on todays podcast when they made the beautiful, moving documentary for ahkeem, which premiered at the prestigious berlin film festival earlier this year. At the center of for ahkeem is a teenage hero fighting for more the comingofage documentary is a poignant look at black girlhood in a community with little to no options and opportunities. This intimate coming of age story illuminates challenges that many black teenagers face in america today, and witnesses the strength, resilience, and. Docuclub ny is a regular collaboration between ida and dctv. At the center of for ahkeem is a teenage hero fighting. Beginning one year before the fatal police shooting of a black teenager in nearby ferguson, mo.
She wants what countless hollywood stories tell us young women in america want. For ahkeem received positive critical reception and garnered awards from festivals such as the independent film festival boston and the indie memphis film festival. Louis teenager daje shelton as she comes of age in the wake of ferguson and black lives matter. For ahkeem african american poverty and crime documentary.
The film for ahkeem is the comingofage story of daje shelton, a seventeenyearold african american girl from north st. Watch for ahkeem 2017 full movie free online streaming tubi. Louis alternative school fighting to make a better future for herself and her son. Documentary film for ahkeem highlights the challenges. Beginning one year before the fatal police shooting of a black teenager in nearby ferguson, missouri, for ahkeem is the comingofage story of daje shelton, a black 17yearold girl in north st. Well be screening jeremy levine and landon van soests workinprogress documentary, for ahkeem. For ahkeem is a 2017 documentary film directed by landon van soest and jeremy s. Download our discussion guide for conversations starters, information on the issues, discussion questions, and ideas for direct actions. For ahkeem is an unvarnished exploration of a complex web of juvenile justice, education, poverty and race in america today. The documentary is eerily perfect timing, right at the moment of the michael brown shooting.
Expelled from her public high school, shelton is sent to the courtsupervised innovative concept academy ica, which offers her a last chance to earn a high school diploma. Iyabo boyd is an independent film producer, writerdirector, and entrepreneur. For ahkeem is a compelling but often frustrating documentary, a microcosm of the struggles faced by many disadvantaged young people of color today. Themes of institutional racism, injustice, teen pregnancy, and lack of economic opportunity in. It follows her life as she attempts to right her future after being expelled from high school. Through dajes intimate comingofage story, for ahkeem illuminates challenges that many black teenagers face in america today, and witnesses the strength, resilience, and determination it takes to survive. A quietly impactful documentary with the texture of a narrative feature. For ahkeem plays like a visual diary, capturing the final days of dajes adolescence on film. A coming of age documentary told against the fiery backdrop of teenager mike browns tragic death and the ferguson, missouri riots and protests that followed in 2014, the documentary for ahkeem is a sobering piece of work. The comingofage story of daje, a black teenage girl in a north st. Find out where for ahkeem is streaming, if for ahkeem is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. Created through endless footage and expert, unobtrusive onthefly photography, the documentary captures her experience as a young black.
We spoke with truesdell, a writer for people magazine and a st. Louis fights against negative expectations in this intimate documentary chronicling a sadly common story. For ahkeem illuminates challenges that many black teenagers face in america today. One year before the fatal police shooting of a black teenager in nearby ferguson, missouri, a 17yearold black girl in north st. Ahkeem, just as ferguson erupts a few miles down the road. A junior high school student sees her chances of a better future jeopardized after she gets in a fight and is expelled. We are thrilled with this recognition among such an amazing slate of films, including the special jury prize winner maineland.
Weve been following her since she was sixteen, and its been thrilling to watch daje grow into a remarkable young woman and mother. For ahkeem is a compelling but often frustrating documentary, a microcosm of the. Stream for ahkeem adfree on all your favorite devices. For ahkeem is an urgent, important, almost transcendent film, and among the best ive seen all year. Levine and landon van soest, grew out of a people magazine article from 2011 about the innovative concept academy, an alternative school in. Louisbased teenager, daje shelton, and her experience in school and in her personal relationships. The film follows shelton for two years, as she struggles to maintain focus in. Documentary for ahkeem delivers a bracing story of grit in. Documentary, family, poverty, african american studies, crime, lifestyle synopsis. For ahkeem was recently awarded the grand jury prize for best feature documentary at the independent film festival boston. The hollywood reporter a poignant look at black girlhood. This worksinprogress screening series offers the public and members of the film community advance access to new documentaries in progress, and the opportunity to participate in behind. In for ahkeem, a last option for a troubled teenager.
When we first meet 17yearold daje shelton in the documentary for ahkeem, she has been expelled from her regular public high school and is appearing before a municipal judge. Beginning one year before the fatal police shooting of a black teenager in nearby ferguson, missouri, for ahkeem is the comingofage story of daje shelton. Entertainment weekly must list and people magazine picks. The story told in for ahkeem, a stark documentary portrait of a troubled teenager struggling to redirect her life, unfolds in the months before. For ahkeem is the concise, heartfelt work of documentarians jeremy s. Watch for ahkeem 2017 full movie free online streaming. For ahkeem is the comingofage documentary of daje shelton, a 17yearold girl from north st. The films codirectors are two, middleclass white men from new york city, namely emmy award winning duo jeremy s. We are the film team behind the documentary, for ahkeem, which follows st. After a school fight lands 17year old daje shelton in a courtsupervised alternative high school, shes determined to turn things around and make a better future for herself in her rough st.
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