‘Ferguson Rises’: Tribeca Review
Originally posted to ScreenDaily.com by15 JUNE 2021
Dir: Mobolaji Olambiwonnu. US. 2021. 85 mins.
Seven years have passed since the killing of Michael Brown Jr. by Ferguson law enforcement, an outrage that galvanised the Black Lives Matter movement in America. The documentary Ferguson Rises chronicles the aftermath, presenting a solemn overview of the unresolved racial tensions still simmering within that small Missouri community. Mobolaji Olambiwonnu’s feature directorial debut doesn’t provide much new information, but to expect it to do so would be missing the point. This is an act of remembrance and quiet defiance, a principled refusal to let Brown’s death be forgotten, and as such the film is a worthwhile testament to keeping the victims of police brutality alive in our minds.
Premiering at the Tribeca Festival, Ferguson Rises joins the ranks of other non-fiction projects, such as Whose Streets? and the Oscar-nominated short St. Louis Superman, which focused on Ferguson in the wake of Brown’s killing. David Oyelowo serves as an executive producer, which will help bring attention to the picture. But considering that Black Lives Matter remains in the spotlight after George Floyd’s murder last summer, many may automatically be drawn to the subject material…
