10-Day Event of Films

The Sundance Film Festival 2022 continues the 10-day event by bringing awareness to mental health and making a difference in Black communities.

An Alabama Savior

The film “The Panola Project” starred an activist who made it her mission to keep her town healthy and safe. While also showing the struggles Black-dominated communities are fighting to get assistance from the government.

Activist Dorothy Oliver is from a small town in Alabama called Panola which has a population of 350 people. Unfortunately, the virus has torn through the city, and Oliver has made it her mission to get the vaccine to as many people as possible. To do this, Oliver and her friend Drucilla Jackson drove around town, went to people’s doors, and encouraged them to get the vaccine.

Directors Rachael DeCruz and Jeremy Levine wanted to encourage others to make a difference in their communities.

“We all have a role to play,” DeCruz said. “We try to use the lessons we learned from Dorothy, which is the importance of meeting people where they are. Also, to not step into those conversations from a place of judgment, shame; be curious, share information, and listen to them.”

However, the women hit roadblocks. Birmingham, Alabama, the nearest hospital to the town, is 39 miles away. The women have to get at least 40 people to agree to receive the vaccination. That way, the hospital can send their workers to Panola to administer the vaccine. A task that Oliver puts on her shoulders, but she wishes not to carry the burden.

“More Black people in town are put on the back burner,” she said.

For the directors, it was hard to watch the setbacks Oliver and Jackson go through.

“To see the vaccine efforts run into these roadblocks and Alabama being at the bottom of the list of vaccination rates, we were depressed and angry,” Levine said. “We wanted to go on Twitter and yell at people. But that doesn’t do anything. But to move people to change, we have to use Dorothy’s approach.”

Oliver does whatever it takes to provide for her community. From her shop that she owns to provide necessities for the Panola citizens to going to her neighbor’s house after work to talk about the importance of staying healthy during the pandemic.

DeCruz and Levine saw the importance of sharing this story during the festival.

“Making this film gave us life during a challenging time,” Levine said. “The last couple of years have been challenging for everyone in different ways. And seeing the work that Dorothy is doing in her community is wildly inspiring.”

Oliver continues calling people to get more people vaccinated at the end of the film. DeCruz and Levine said that the activist is still doing the work today in her community.

Family Stepping Up

Another film that spotlighted families and people coming together was “Hallelujah.” Based in Compton, California, director Victor Gabriel introduces two brothers who have to decide to care for their niece and nephew after the death of their brother and sister-in-law. It’s a difficult decision since their nephew, Hallelujah, isn’t the average 13-year-old Black living in the hood.

“In the Black community, it’s not odd to see someone step up and take care of someone else’s kids,” Gabriel said. “What’s different in this film is that it’s Black men [that] are stepping up, and we do not get to see this often.”

Hallelujah yells out facts about being a Black American male throughout the film, including suicide rates. Unfortunately, the uncles do not want to know this truth. Gabriel thought it was essential to bring these facts to the film, as he sees this every day as a therapist for trauma survivors.

“There are Black people who are depressed and who are suicidal,” Gabriel said. “I wanted to make this awareness in the film.”

For Gabriel, it was essential to bring PTSD and mental health to the forefront. The audience sees this when one of the uncles relives the day his brother and sister-in-law were killed right outside their home. The uncle shows his grief over their losses but his compassion for his nephew when he doesn’t want to expose him to the harsh reality of living in the hood.

“We have learned how to care for others while taking care of our stuff at the same time,” he said. “Both people are highly traumatized. Sometimes, it is hard for us to let things go and not do anything about it.”

The short film depicts how healing can bring a family together in the most challenging times.

What’s Next?

For Gabriel, the short film will continue to be a full-fledged movie, showing the life of Hallelujah as he navigates through his teenage years.

For DeCruz and Levine, they’re working on numerous projects. First, they are working on a film called “Nine”. The film is about the enduring bonds of friendship forged across generations and decades and the power it gives two men to push back against an oppressive criminal justice system. In addition, Levine is working on a project based on a former white supremacist dealing with his past. In the film, he finds a new identity as a circus performer.

Learn More

To learn more about The Panola Project and future projects with the directors, reach out to PMG-Platform Media Group.