Reel Unity Pair: HARLEM RISING / Black Boys Cant' Cry

HARLEM RISING

“HARLEM RISING” chronicles the remarkable history and lives transformed by The Harlem Children’s Zone. Named one of the most ambitious social experiments created to break the cycle of poverty, the program spans 97 blocks of Central Harlem and serves a critical mass of 28,000 children and adults in 31 programs and two schools.

Drawing from more than 1200 hours of archival footage shot over four decades, “HARLEM RISING” traces HCZ’s history through the eyes and individual narratives of the children, the parents, and the community HCZ helped transform.

The narrative arcs of the students, parents and community members are intertwined with the history and promise of the Harlem Children’s Zone, as told by its founder, Geoffrey Canada and his fellow founding mothers and fathers who vowed to do whatever it takes to make sure that every child in the zone succeeds.

Using archival video footage filmed by Black and Brown youth from the late 1970's, 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's the film captures the transformation of New York City's Harlem through the unique lens of three generations of students who grew up with the Harlem Children's Zone.

This inspirational film shows that innovative and comprehensive community-based approaches can tackle society’s toughest problems and propel children and a community out of the cycle of poverty.

2020 BIBFF

7th Annual Baltimore International Black Film Festival - Teaser

Black Boys Cant' Cry

Javion is a dutiful and loving black father. He is the protector and provider of the family, including his wife, daughter, and grandmother. However, he is haunted by a secret that he continues to bury in silence. Not knowing how to deal with the trauma, he attempts to hide the behemoth inside him that is trying to break out. But not until tonight when he is finally overwhelmed, and he attacks his family while he ultimately comes face-to-face with his painful past. Only the prayerful hands of his grandmother can help channel his buried emotion from taking control.