Film, Arts & Entertainment

 
 
 
 
 

“Driving While Black”

Posted March 28, 2016 by qotsm in Film

We’ve all been there. You’re in your car driving through town, on your way to or from work. Maybe you’re cruising down the highway listening to your favorite song, without a single care in the world. Then, here it comes. You notice the blue and red lights in your rear view mirror. Just then, you hear the chirp or the siren from the police car that has suddenly appeared out of nowhere. In a matter of seconds, your whole mood has changed. You recognize it. It’s the thing we all hate, but it’s the thing Black men dread. The proverbial traffic stop! At that moment, you run through the whole gamut of scenarios and possibilities in your mind. This could play out in any number of ways. You know the drill, so take a deep breath, get your mind right, put your game face on, and just get through it.

This is the plot and premise behind “Driving While Black”, a film which sets out to show how people of color deal with what happens when you’re behind the wheel and get pulled over by the cops. Damn! Damn! Damn!

Dominique Purdy and Paul Sapiano teamed up to write this thought provoking “dramedy” about police profiling, harassment, and abuse of power and authority. Dominique, in addition to writing the movie, is also the lead actor. Paul is also the director.

Much like his character Dimitri, Dominique’s day job is that of a pizza delivery driver. Yes, that’s right…he’s a pizza delivery man. Much of what happens in the film actually came from first hand experiences or things he witnesses just being a young Black man in Los Angeles. He has to encounter countless obstacles while maneuvering through the city on a daily basis, all in an attempt to make an honest dollar. This film dares to give more than one perspective of the issue as well. It asks, why do so many people of color, not just Black people, have instances of harassment and unfair treatment while behind the wheel and at the mercy of the police?

When asked why he used comedy to convey his message in “Driving While Black”, Dominique replied, “I wanted to make a film about this subject first off, because I thought it was necessary. I’ve seen plenty of dramas about police harassment, but never a comedy, even though there are still pieces of drama in this one. Humor is a good way to get a point across to people about serious issues so they can laugh and understand, then think deep about it.”

“Driving While Black” wasn’t the first time Purdy and Sapiano worked together, which probably accounts for the chemistry the two achieved with this film. They both felt it necessary to show as many sides of this issue as possible. In an effort to make sure they weren’t one sided in their portrayal, they even had Black cops be the protagonists and profile other Blacks, as well as a few other races too. “It really gets you to think about cops taking advantage of the power they have with a badge. We also show when there are cool cops too. We wanted to be well rounded on the issue and still get the point across without being preachy” says Purdy. They definitely achieved that goal with the stylized method they chose to use in telling this all too real story that I’m sure a lot of us can relate to.

Sapiano, who himself is White says, “From my point of view, I hope White guys see this film and get some sense of how commonplace police harassment is. I sincerely believe that Whites have no idea how prevalent this is. I didn’t when we first started.” Films like this need a platform because they open up the lines of communication and force dialogue that may not ordinarily take place otherwise. It’s always good to flip the script per se, and look at things from an alternate point of view. This is how we learn. This is how we grow.

“I want this film to be a win for the movement. I hope it can give people who have never experienced this, a new perspective into the issue. I feel this film will open up a dialogue between all races to talk about what is and has been going on in America with police profiling, brutality, and harassment” says Purdy.

Mission accomplished. “Driving While Black” receives a strong B+. Check out the trailer by going to www.drivingwhileblackmovie.com

If you get the opportunity to catch it, please do so. You won’t be disappointed.

QOTS Magazine


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