This week, we went to go see ChiRaq, a Spike Lee film about gun violence in Chicago. Lee himself says that he made the film "to save lives", and the film focuses around the murder of one girl who was killed in the South Side of Chicago and the family, but in addition to the usual marches and rallies that communities host, the twist in this plot is that the women of the community also engage in a sex strike, based on the play Lysistrata.
It is set in current day Chicago, and begins with a song about violence in the city, the lyrics written in red on the black screen. Then Lee contextualizes the film by explaining that the city's nickname "Chiraq", which many criticize him for using as the title, came from gun violence statistics. Currently, more people have died from gun violence in Chicago than U.S. soldiers have died in the war in Iraq, and many ChiTown based rappers make reference to this in their songs.
It is an important film, in the sense that it attempts to spotlight gun violence, gang violence, economic violence against urban neighborhoods (from Chicago to the Bronx, from Oakland to the Detroit, and beyond). It is important in that the women of the community take the lead from Leymah Gbowee and the Liberian Mass Action for Peace. I am moved by the mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts of a community uniting to show their power. But our power is beyond sex, our power is to give life.
So I ask you, as we reflect on this film, how do we give life to a new movement for peace and prosperity, in our BAL community and the neighborhood? Please respond to the film below, using the prompt questions as needed. I look forward to the movement we're creating! UP4life!
It is set in current day Chicago, and begins with a song about violence in the city, the lyrics written in red on the black screen. Then Lee contextualizes the film by explaining that the city's nickname "Chiraq", which many criticize him for using as the title, came from gun violence statistics. Currently, more people have died from gun violence in Chicago than U.S. soldiers have died in the war in Iraq, and many ChiTown based rappers make reference to this in their songs.
It is an important film, in the sense that it attempts to spotlight gun violence, gang violence, economic violence against urban neighborhoods (from Chicago to the Bronx, from Oakland to the Detroit, and beyond). It is important in that the women of the community take the lead from Leymah Gbowee and the Liberian Mass Action for Peace. I am moved by the mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts of a community uniting to show their power. But our power is beyond sex, our power is to give life.
So I ask you, as we reflect on this film, how do we give life to a new movement for peace and prosperity, in our BAL community and the neighborhood? Please respond to the film below, using the prompt questions as needed. I look forward to the movement we're creating! UP4life!
1. What's one scene or section of the film that stands out to you as especially important?
2. How can we connect some ideas from the film to our activist work?
3. What's one action or creative activity that you would like to participate in to speak out against gun violence after break?
1) When Chiraq was finally told about his father
ReplyDelete2) By sitting down with some gane violence activists
3) Making Murals for those who came across gang violence
1. The section of the film that stood out to me was a church scene because it was so emotional
ReplyDelete2. the sex protest was a creative and that what u.p is about creative ways to stop violence
3. we should make a poster and put up on social media and make a hashtag
One scene from the film that was important and stood out to me was when Chi-Raq was not going to sign the treaty and he walked out then we see the police is blocking them but he keeps walking then the families walk up and he stops. This scene showed me how criminals wont stop because the police said so or enforced it the families and communities have to join together. One activity to help stop violence is do what the families did show all of the deaths that have happened and see how its changing lives.
ReplyDelete