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documentary

Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams

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We may think of baseball as the American Pastime, but we are not the only place that loves the game. Baseball is also a very popular sport in Japan, and has been for over 100 years. Each year, there is a nationwide high school tournament leading up to crowning a champion at Koshien Stadium near Kobe. It has a nationwide following that surpasses professional baseball. Each year thousands of high school baseball teams begin the single elimination tournament in their prefectures. Only one team from each prefecture goes on to Koshien. Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams, from Ema Ryan Yamazaki, shows us a team’s quest to achieve that challenging goal.

The film focuses on Yokohama Hayato High School. The team is coached by Mizutani, who has made one trip to Koshien in his thirty year career. He is often stern with his players, pushing them as they train for the tournament. The school has 129 students who are taking part in the baseball program, but only twenty can make the summer team. We get to know a few of them, but most of the focus in on Mizutani.

The training regimen for these high school baseball players is grueling. We watch as they run in unison around the field. It looks like soldiers in boot camp. The seniors have been doing this for three years. Freshmen are having a hard time learning to stay together, and an upperclassman scolds them. They have to work as a team.

But it is not only about baseball skills and ability. In a meeting with the new freshmen, a senior mentor discusses the philosophy of the program. The number one goal is “to grow as humans”. That means being attentive to all around you. It means caring for the world. (One of the things we note is that these players pick up trash anywhere they go.) They drill on the proper way to speak. The senior mentor criticizes the way some of the players say “good morning” and “thank you”.

We also meet Sasaki, the coach of Hanamaki Higashi school. Sasaki was an assistant coach under Mizutani, whom he considers a mentor. Sasaki, however, has gone on to make it to Koshien several times. He has also coached players who have made it to American baseball, such as Shohei Ohtani of the Angels and Yusei Kikuchi of the Mariners. Sasaki likens his coaching to growing bonsai plants—how they grow to fit the size of container, and the way wires are needed to form the shape, but will injure the plant if left too long. When Mizutani’s son becomes a freshman, Mizutani thinks it would be best if his son not play for him, so he is sent far from home to play for Sasaki.

But this is not just about baseball. In some ways, this serves as a chance to look at some of the cultural norms of Japanese society. The Japanese work ethic that evolved after World War II, created a strong economy, but perhaps globalization is bringing changes. Mizutani’s parents built their own company, but his mother doesn’t understand why he does not return to work in it, especially after the death of his father. That work ethic also has an effect on family life. Mizutani is rarely home. In fact it is at a practice game between Hayato and Higashu that he first sees his son play baseball (and for another team!).

That work ethic is also seen in the way the players push themselves. In a clip from a previous Koshien tournament, the TV announcers mention that the pitcher in the game threw 253 pitches yesterday. An American coach that allowed a player to through 250 pitches in a week would probably be fired for abuse. Yusei Kikuchi recalls trying to continue pitching in the tournament with a broken rib. It would not be acceptable to say he couldn’t go on.

When there is only one champion out of thousands, it means disappointment for most. And we see that disappointment play out in this film. It is what is said after that disappointment that allows us to see the way that sports can build character.

Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams is available on Virtual Cinema through local arthouses.

Photos courtesy of First Run Features.

Cowboys – Portrait of an Icon

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“Cowboy’s not what you do; it’s who you are, It’s just something in you.”

One of the key mythic icons of American life is the cowboy. Most young boys, and probably many girls as well, dream of being a cowboy when they grow up. Few actually become cowboys. In Cowboys, directors Bud Force and John Langmore, both of whom have spent time working as cowboys, have created a portrait of what the cowboy life is in the 21st century.

Filmed at several large ranches (some close to a million acres) in states ranging from Texas to Montana, the film shows glimpses of a year of cowboy life. We meet a few of the men and women who have chosen to live this life. It is one of the jobs that is done in somewhat the same way as it was done for the last couple of centuries. There are some technological changes, but for such large operations, it often comes down to men, horses, and cattle in the open range.

It is certainly not a recruitment video looking for new cowboys. It makes it clear that this is hard work, with not much monetary reward. (Starting pay is about $1500 a month.) It is also a challenging life. We meet the wife of a cowboy who is raising their children four and a half hours from the nearest town. Going to the store becomes a three day trip. As she says, if you spill a bag of sugar, it’s nine hours of driving to get more.

The men and women we meet find fulfillment in this life. One of them mentions that his office is about the size of Rhode Island. For many people that kind of isolation would be devastating. For these people it is an opportunity that few people get. They enjoy the outdoors. They get to see beautiful vistas. They get to spend their time with animals. An interesting look at how that isolation can feel to the cowboys is when we talk to a retired cowboy who mentions going into town and living in an apartment feels like jail.

Of course all of this is hard physical work. It involves catching and holding calves for branding or breaking a horse for riding. It can involve riding all day, or camping in a small tent. It’s not always pleasant—as when we watch a cowboy assist a cow delivering a calf that is stillborn, or when a horse is bitten by a rattlesnake.

It is really the mythic aspect that made me interested in the film. The cowboy is the epitome of the rugged individual. These men and women certainly fit that characterization. But they also know that they have other needs. One cowboy relates the death of a child, and how he and his wife needed their faith to get through that crisis. We can see that for these people, this lifestyle suits them well. The concept of rugged individualism is one that has value, but it can also be a very difficult and lonely existence. It is one that fits these men and women, but is clearly not for all.

Cowboys is available on VOD.

Photos courtesy of 1922 Films.

City So Real: A World Within a World

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A woman talks to a police officer during a protest. (Chicago Story Film, LLC)

The city of Chicago has always received less than top billing in the United States.  Its blue-collar, earthy mentality is quite unique when compared to Houston, Los Angeles, or New York City. However, it truly is a world all its own with over 75 separate sections comprising its makeup, each showcasing some of the best (and worst) parts of who we are as a people.  With his five-part drama City So Real (NatGeo, 10.29 and Hulu starting 10.30), director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, America to Me) has provided an opportunity for the city as a whole to give voice on behalf of the entire country – and this is accomplished in remarkable fashion.

I lived and attended school in the Western Suburbs of Chicago, so I’ve seen a thing or two about the town—or so I thought.  Instead, I discovered that I was quite sheltered from the richness and color Chicago has as a whole.  In order to get that, I had to jump on the freeway and drive 25 or so miles east.  But even then, I only spent time in the popular areas (Downtown; Navy Pier; Lakeshore Drive).  Rarely did I ever step foot into the other parts of town.

James, in his over five hour documentary (and I recommend you watch the whole thing), brings to light two portions of life from these 75+ perspectives. The first involves the weeks and months after mayor Rahm Emmanuel decided not to run for reelection.  With the city swimming in financial woes and uncertainty (such as a potentially huge housing project called Lincoln Yards), you might think two or three individuals would come out and run to take over that position.  Wrong! Twenty-one people throw their hat into the fray – from computer coder Neal Sáles-Griffin to Nigerian born Amara Enyia (getting cred from Chace the Rapper and Kanye West) to Richard Daley (whose relatives ran the city for 43 years), the documentary showed off not only the convoluted process Chicago has for its elections, but how each candidate campaigned—and more importantly, how each section of the city responded.  The Sideline Studios, a predominantly African-American haircut place on the South Side, is allowed to let its owner Dionell Hill and his customers air their thoughts a la Coming to America—and they pull no punches. That business is later contrasted with another haircut location that features all Caucasian clientele.  It was refreshing perspective to see and hear the tonal color of these sections of town—and see them firsthand.

The race also coincides with the murder trial of a Chicago cop who killed Laquan McDonald by shooting him 16 times.  Chicago has always been known for corruption—and a large part of the town thinks the office will get off free. They think in mainly binary tones, but when justice is finally reached, it’s a breath of fresh air one part of the city has rarely seen.

The mayoral race gets dirty and competitive – and in the end the winner is a former prosecutor named Lori Lightfoot, a lady who’s willing to walk door to door and meet people to get a vote.  She exhibits a new way of looking things, being both African-American and lesbian.  In the end, she wins in a landslide.

Yard signs display a variety of candidates running in the 2019 Mayor’s race in Chicago. (Chicago Story Film, LLC)

If James were to have stopped here, it would’ve been enough.  However, the last part of the documentary brings the now into perspective – starting in March when Covid-19 began to ransack the country and led to Chicago shutting down, killing many of the mom-and-pop businesses in the process (one resorted to selling jigsaw puzzles and even printing its own money).  Lightfoot’s non-nonsense, don’t-mess-with-me demeanor was one that worked effectively—until people started getting tired of being inside and George Floyd’s death ripped the bandage off racial tensions.  Of course, the story isn’t over—it plays out every day, making Chicago . . .  well . . .  that place Carl Sandburg immortalized in his poem of the same name.

I found the documentary to be cutting, relevant, and well-executed. James has a knack for getting into the minds of people and asking questions that allow them to share who they are and how they’re feeling.  People are definitely willing to talk if you allow them a method to share their voice! I was also impressed about how James allowed each section of town to speak for itself, a unique yet important aspect.  It reminds me of some of the areas mentioned in the Bible—Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem are just three.  Each are part of the overall picture of history and yet each has its own unique flavor.  Jerusalem saw its share of violence and destruction for thousands of years – not only inside but outside the city walls.  Nazareth was a place where people asked if anything good could come from it (in this case, it certainly did). Bethlehem was extremely small and yet is now known as the birthplace of Jesus.  All the pieces, when put together, make up a picture that’s greater than the sum of its parts.  City So Real reveals that in a compelling and gripping way—one you won’t soon forget.

City So Real airs on NatGeo on October 29 and Hulu starting October 30

Monday at AFIFest2020

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Monday was a light day for me at AFIFest 2020 Presented by Audi. But even though I only have two films to report on today, the films themselves were not light.

“Inanimate object, do you have a soul that sticks to our soul and forces us to love?” Belgian director Zoé Wittock brings her premier feature Jumbo to the festival. Inspired by a true story, it tells of a young woman who falls in love with an amusement park ride. Yes, it sounds strange, and it is. Jeanne (Noémie Merlant) is an extremely introverted young woman who works after hours at an amusement park. When a new ride arrives, it seems to be in tune with her emotionally. Her boss is attracted to her, but her heart belongs to the ride she has christened Jumbo. Her mother, who was abandoned by Jeanne’s father only wants for Jeanne to find love and happiness, but not the kind of love one has for a machine. The stress of such an forbidden love is destroying Jeanne’s relationship with those around her, and threatens to leave her in a severe depression. Such attractions to inanimate objects is a condition that some people really do have. But if someone like Jeanne finds their joy in fulfillment in such love that does no harm to others, should it be challenged or accepted for what it is?

There always seems to be a doc showing at AFIFest that I know I’ll resonate with because of its left of center subject. This year’s version is The Big Scary “S” Word, from Yael Bridge. Perhaps the theme phrase is said by Cornell West: “Socialism in as American as apple pie.” This film gives a bit of the history of socialism in the US (including its role in the founding of the Republican Party [!]). Socialism, as it is found in this documentary, is the idea that society works best when it works to serve everyone. Among the ways this is highlighted in the film is teachers in Oklahoma fighting for more school funding, a socialist elected to the Virginia legislature, and the Bank of North Dakota (state-owned, the very definition of socialism). The emergence of people like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in recent years has brought socialism into out field of vision again. Socialism is indeed a “big scary word” in US politics. The term has been rolled out since the time of Teddy Roosevelt to disparage anything progressive. Things like trust busting, Social Security, and Medicare were all branded as socialism.

Given that I have a strong affinity for the subject, I hate that I found the film wanting. The title of the film identifies the emotional response to socialism. This film is far too cerebral to combat that emotional response. I would concur with Cornell West about socialism being part of the very nature of the American dream. But to make others see it that way can’t be just a matter of reason alone. The film lacks (for the most part) any real passion or any sense of the moral rationale for socialism. The film alludes at a few points to the idea that we need a broad social movement to bring socialism into the fore, but no practical information as to how to being that about. Probably my biggest disappointment is that the film doesn’t confront what may be the hardest to bring socialism to the US, the political system that is so dependent on money (especially corporate money). Sanders and AOC continue to be on the outer edges of politics. A few faces of socialism will never overcome the might of money.

Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World

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The search for truth is at the heart of Hans Pools documentary Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World. It tells the story of a group that searches out the truth in news stories, even when powerful nations seek to hide behind lies.

Bellingcat is a multi-national collective of citizen open-source investigative journalists. They are people with expertise in various subjects. They use online information in amazing ways to ferret out the truth of world events. This ranges from identification of perpetrators of violence in Charlottesville, verifying bombings in Syria, the poisoning of a Russian dissident, and more.

Much of the film involves Bellingcat’s investigation of the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airline flight MH-17 by Russian (or pro-Russian) forces in Ukraine. It is amazing the amount of evidence about the incident and the weapons systems involved  these people were able to find online, such as seeing the movement of the convoy the day of the attack. But it is not just finding the information, it is also a matter of interpreting the information.

As professional journalism continues to struggle to stay afloat, the role of citizen journalist is expanding. Of course, that raises questions of professional standards and reputation. For professional journalism, trust is often based in the institution and our perception of its reliability, whether that is BBC, Fox News, or the New York Times. But citizen journalists establish trust through transparency, showing the evidence they have accumulated and verifying its accuracy.

Much of the work of Bellingcat deals with the disinformation that is spread by official and unofficial channels. It is more than just fact-checking. It often means that they have to find evidence that disputes the message that is being sent out. We see the results of some of the investigations they have done, but we need to realize that it is because of long, complicated investigations. Watching them explain where they found all the evidence is impressive, but more impressive is how hard it must have been to find it all in the enormous cyber universe. At times Bellingcat has determined things to be fact before official investigators have.

We are bombarded by news and fake news every day. It can be difficult to wade through it all and judge where the truth lies. This film takes us inside a group that is working to overcome the lies with truth that they can back up.

Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World is available on DVD.

Vas-y Coupe! (Wine Crush) – The People Behind Wine

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What goes into a bottle of Champagne? Easy answer: grapes. But how do they get there? Laura Naylor’s documentary Vas-y Coupe! (English title: Wine Crush) is a very pleasant atmospheric look at the harvest at one of Champagne’s premier vineyards. The film really isn’t so much about wine or agriculture. It is about people.

Much of the film is spent with the harvesters, a group of men who travel to the vineyard each year for the harvest. These are working class men, who have left their families for this bit of work. Two of them have been coming for over 30 years. The workers stay in a sparse dormitory, four in a room. But we may be surprised at the quality of the dinners they are provided each evening. A good part of the film involves the kitchen where women are preparing the daily meals. There is surely a comradery among the harvesters, but that also extends to their relationship with the bosses. There are differences in class, age, and gender, but they all share a common humanity as they each do their labor, whether picking, cooking, or winemaking.

There is very little of an instructive nature in the film. We only hear in passing what kind of grapes these are. We see them being fed into a crusher, and later into barrels. But we are told next to nothing about what goes on in all these steps. Rather, we are immersed in the time and place. Wonderful cinematography shows us great vistas of vineyards, as well as the closeup work being done.

The culmination of all this labor turns out to be one of the worst harvests in recent memory. Many of the grapes rotted on the vines. Yet at the closing dinner, the winemaker celebrates the work that they have all done together. No one person, he tells them, can do everything themselves. We all need each other in various ways.

I find in interesting that the French title (which translates as “Go Cut!”) uses the French familiar you. That, I think, reflects this recognition that each person has a place in this endeavor. The harvesters, of lower economic class, are seen as just as valuable to what is happening as the winemaker and his family. All are in this together, even though some are working for short-term wages and others are invested in a long-term project. They are all related by a common task and a common humanity.

Vas-y Coupe! is currently playing at the virtual Newport Beach Film Festival and will be available on VOD October 8.

Photos courtesy of First Run Features.

My Name Is Pedro – Teaching and Politics

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A gifted educator can often make an important difference in the lives of students. My Name Is Pedro, from documentarian Lillian LaSalle, is the story of a charismatic school administrator who managed to turn around struggling schools through his belief in and interaction with students and teachers.

Pedro Santiago grew up in the Bronx. He wasn’t an exemplary student, but as is often the case, a teacher believed in him enough for him to believe in himself. After college and a stint in Africa with the Peace Corps, Santiago began teaching in his old community. He rose to the position of Principal and took on a failing middle school. Soon the metrics for the school were showing vast improvement—enough that he was profiled in the New York Times. He was then hired as Assistant Superintendent by a struggling suburban school district.

His tenure in that district turned out to be problematic, mostly because of the political setting. The East Ramapo School District is one of the few districts in which more students are in private schools than public schools, largely because of a large Hasidic community who teach their children in Yeshivas. When Hasidim became the majority of the school board, budgets and programs were cut. In time it led to changes in the administration and Santiago’s termination, in spite of great community support for him.

In reality, there are two documentaries here. The first a personal profile of an educator. Santiago is a worthy subject for times when public schools are often seen as failing. He is evidence that it is possible for even schools with a history of problems to become successful. The parts of his life we’re shown are inspiring, but it is obvious that there are parts he’s not sharing with us. For example, we see only hints of his family life—enough to raise questions that aren’t answered. We see bits of his method of working in schools, but not enough to really have a feel that his methods could be more broadly applied, or are they site specific?

The second documentary is about the school district. The dynamics of the board meetings we attend seem to be an example of civic dysfunction. Viewers are left to wonder how things could have gotten to the point where people not invested in public education are running a school district. (This concept comes up again at the ending when there are clips of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has not attended, sent her children to, or taught in a public school, yet is in charge of federal government education policy.)

Neither of these possible documentaries are fully developed. We may find inspiration in Santiago’s story, but we never get deep enough into the subject. Watching the politics of the school board just leaves us shaking our heads in disbelief at their cavalier attitude toward the public, and wondering about the politicization of education.

My Name is Pedro is available via Virtual Cinema through local arthouses.

Photos courtesy of Sweet 180.

A Chef’s Journey – Cooking with Cooperation

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Food and restaurants have become popular reality TV subjects, with at least one channel dedicated to such shows. Rémi Anfosso’s A Chef’s Journey may seem like something you would find on the Food Network, but it really doesn’t follow the template of those reality shows.

The film follows Chef David Kinch of Manresa, a Los Gatos, California, restaurant with 3 Michelin stars, as he takes his staff on a trip to France for a series of “four hands” dinners at other esteemed restaurants. They will go to other 2 and 3 star restaurants in Provence, Paris, and Marseille. Most of his staff is young; many have never been abroad. The idea is that the events will serve as a kind of cross-pollination for the staffs of the restaurants involved.

If this were a Food Network show, we would be expecting near disasters (or total disasters), but that is not the way Anfosso presents this story. Kinch and his staff worry about getting the ingredients they will need (such as abalone and sauces that take several days to prepare, so they are taking them frozen) to the places they will be cooking. The staffs will be working together and may have little ability to even speak a common language. Chefs in general have a reputation for being a bit imperial and not wanting to share. But as we watch the trip unfold, everything seems to work out well. The biggest problem is that the various members of staffs are all trying not to offend their counterparts and not really getting to know each other or what they do.

Also different from the way the Food Network would approach this is that the food itself stays in the background. We see some of the dishes being prepared (and this is all small plates of very beautiful and artistic food), but the only eating we see happening is when the staff gets to taste the foods the others have made. We hear some of the foods described, but some we never know just what we are seeing.

Each of the stops on this journey provide a different setting, country, city, and Mediterranean coast, that affect the way the chefs in those places approach cuisine. In Provence, the emphasis in on the freshness of the herbs and vegetables. In Paris, the restaurant sees itself as the height of French cooking. In Marseille, it is all built around what the sea can deliver that day. It is the chef in Marseille, Gérald Passedat, who provides the clearest view of his philosophy of cuisine.

While it is refreshing that the film doesn’t generate conflict the way a Food Network show would for dramatic purposes, it would have been good to see what problems they did encounter and how that was resolved. It also would have given us a chance to see some of the cross-pollination that I’m sure must have happened.

The film is meant to be a celebration of cross-cultural cooperation. It serves that function, but not as deeply as it might.

A Chef’s Journey is available on Virtual Cinema through local arthouses and on Vimeo.

Photos courtesy of First Run Features.

TIFF20: Enemies of the State

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Enemies of the State' Review: Whistle-Blower Doc Shocks Until the End - Variety

No stranger to American whistle-blower stories, Director Sonia Kennebeck (National Bird) tackles the unique and complicated life of Matt DeHart, formerly of the Air National Guard.  The Indiana home where Matt DeHart lived with his parents was raided based on the suspicion of child pornography.  Assuming that a child pornography charge was just a ploy to catch him with sensitive government documents (and because of his alleged ties with Anonymous and Wikileaks), Matt took action.  He drove to Mexico, and subsequently attempted to seek help with the Russian and Venezuelan embassies in Washington, D.C.  He believed the government was out to get him and realized that it was only a matter of time.

This wild story was only the beginning of a years long dance between DeHart and the United States government, including arrests, alleged torture, and seeking asylum in Canada.  Even after the attempt at seeking asylum in Canada, this story continued to evolve and get more complicated.

One constant throughout this whole story was how close the family bond was between Matt and his parents, Paul and Leann.  Paul and Leann were willing to protect their son by any means necessary.  Despite Paul and Leann both serving their country in the US military, they believed their son, lost faith in their country, and stuck with Matt every step of the way.

Matt DeHart, the hacktivist who was refused asylum in Canada, sentenced in U.S. on child porn charges | National Post

Not unsurprisingly, Enemies of the State came off as quite biased for the first three quarters of the film.  There were nominal scenes with statements from people who were against DeHart, but mainly it was Matt’s parents telling their terrifying story.  

However, the last half of the documentary certainly takes a different turn when new evidence is uncovered.  In fact, these new revelations make you question a lot of what you heard earlier on in the film.  You will likely question where the truth lies and whether or not what you just heard really is a giant conspiracy theory.

Enemies of the State is an entertaining and well put together documentary that gives you as much information as possible but still made you question the truth.  In fact, to this day (and largely due to Matt’s silence in the last year after being released from prison), we still don’t have the additional information that I felt was needed for closure.  Needless to say I’m interested to see what, if anything, happens with Matt in the future.  Matt DeHart has been compared to Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden.  Is he a hero who intended to release information that America needed to hear?  Or is he a criminal who attempted to cover up his wrongdoings with a conspiracy theory? 

Enemies of the State premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2020.

Black Boys – The Two-edged Sword

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“The bottom line for why things haven’t changed is there is no love for black boys.”

Sonia Lowman’s documentary Black Boys opens with former NFLer Greg Scruggs reading The Little Engine that Could to his toddler son. It transitions to a middle school age boy taking Richard Wrights Black Boy from a shelf and reading it. That dichotomy of idealism and reality is the driving force of the film. Or as activist/rapper Malcolm Little puts it, “You’re talking a double-edged sword to be a black boy in America, because you have to tell yourself that you are magnificent and that you are free and beautiful, while simultaneously acknowledging that the world is not built for you. It’s not built for your success. It’s not built for you to survive.”

The film is designed in four sections entitled Body, Mind, Voice, and Heart. In each of those we get a touch of what it means for young black men as they grow into the world. Sports dominates the Body section. Sports may seem like a way out of the difficulties blacks face, but is it? Or is it just another exploitation of black bodies? Education becomes the main topic of the Mind section. Again, this is an area of great hope, but we also know that as early as kindergarten, black children are often getting less attention and are sold lower expectations. The Voice and Heart sections really focus more on the hopeful side of the film’s core contrast to let us hear what the experience has done to the people interviewed and how the future has an opportunity for change, but that is by no means a certainty.

I consider myself woke (at least for an old white guy), so there isn’t much in this film that is new to me. But it is a very powerful presentation of not just facts and figures, but of the emotional reality of the lives of the people we visit. This is in no small part because of the excellent work Lowman has done in interviewing her subjects to evoke their reflections. Whether the subjects are athletes, educators, activists, or young people looking at their future, the insights provided are always challenging without being overly judgmental. As a white person watching the film I didn’t feel as though I was being called on to feel guilty, but to be engaged with the issues of social justice that are brought forth.

One piece of archival footage that spoke to me, personally, was a press conference held by Philadelphia Eagle player Malcolm Jenkins in which he never spoke, only held up prepared signs. Several of the signs repeated the sentence, “You aren’t listening”. To me that is a reminder that the first (but not the last) thing I need to do when faced with the cries for social justice, is to listen. I may have heard these things before. I still need to listen again.

Black Boys is an invitation for all of us to listen. Some of us need to hear the facts and figures we may have missed. Some of us may need to hear the pain some people have lived through. Some of us may need to hear of the inequalities we never knew about. Some of us may need to hear the visions of hope that continue to be dreamed—and realized. Listen.

Black Boys is available on NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service.