Film & Discussion | Romeo is Bleeding

When

Sunday November 24, 2019: 3:00pm to 5:30pm  Add to Calendar /   Add to Google Calendar

Where

Downtown Library: 1st Floor Lobby

Description

Join us for a screening of the award-winning documentary by Director Jason Zeldes, Romeo Is Bleeding, followed by a talkback/performance by Donté Clark, the subject of the film: a young poet who transcended the violence in his hometown of Richmond, California.

Romeo is Bleeding is structured around one year, as Donté leads a cast of high school students in an effort to mount an urban adaptation of Romeo and Juliet with the hope of starting a dialogue about city violence. As Montague vs. Capulet transforms into North vs. Central, the students delve deeper into the socio-economic issues that drive the violence in their city. As the play comes together on the stage, real life begins to parallel the Shakespearean tragedy. Pushed to his limits, Donté must decide if he is capable of being the leader that Richmond’s youth wants and needs him to be. As our nation wrestles with proper policing methods and curbing the gun violence epidemic, Donté reminds us that a major piece of the puzzle is the arts, and creating safe spaces for healthy expression in every community.

Donté Clark is a poet and emcee who is consistently performing across schools, conferences, poetry readings and hip hop shows globally. He was accepted to the VONA program, a prestigious week-long conference for writers of color.  Donté’s primary focus is ending the violence that has plagued his community and impacted him deeply—he uses his art and curriculum as a call to action. His appearance in films like award winning Kicks and the new web-series The North Pole only catch a glimpse of his creative reach.  In the last few years, Donté hosted a town hall on violence in Richmond and wrote and staged two plays, Té’s Harmony and Po’Boys Kitchen. He continues to spark such critical dialogue and encourages everyone to do the same. 

The 93-minute 2015 documentary is not rated.  This event is in partnership with The Neutral Zone.

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