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Title: A deathly silence
Rating: 2.5 out of 4
Reference: Director & writer, Alison Duke; producer, Nataline
Rodrigues.
Toronto: Ace Pictures, 2003.
48 minutes
Call number: video 6733
Abstract: Why are 30% of Toronto’s homicide
victims African-Canadian? This statistic is explored through the story
of Segun Farquharson whose killing turned his community upside down.
Library of Congress subjects:
Homicide investigation--Ontario--Toronto
Youth, Black--Ontario--Toronto--Social conditions
Toronto (Ont.)--Race relations
Racism--Ontario--Toronto
Sociology subjects:
The city
Community activism
Criminal justice issues
Kids & youth Media/text
analyses
Men & masculinities
Poverty in North America
Reviews and Numerical Ratings
(2) This is an emotionally stirring documentary that
treats viewers to a behind-the-scenes look at grassroots community organizing
and activism in Toronto’s Black community. Insofar as it follows
the police investigation of the murder of a Black youth, it also offers
an interesting glimpse into the practices and processes of policing.
The weakness of this video, however, is that it offers little sociological
insight into its subject matter – the rising trend in Black youth
violence in Toronto. It identifies some of the more obvious variables
that contribute to this phenomenon, but only superficially. Linkages
between Black youth violence and wider sociopolitical phenomena such
as the social construction of Blackness (e.g., Black masculinity and
linkages between Blackness and criminality), racial discrimination and
inequality in Canadian society, racist policing practices, and so on
are largely unexplored. The film does not present much of a critical
perspective, and at best is useful for conveying facts and statistics
on Black youth violence as well as the sense of despair and urgency
in the community over this issue. No segment in the film stood out as
particularly insightful or illuminating from a sociological standpoint.
Kevin Gosine
(3.5) This is an excellent documentary that would be
useful for many different sociology courses, and is suitable for all
levels of understanding. It explores the very timely issues of, but
not just limited to, youth and violence, poverty and low-income neighbourhoods,
race and crime, community-police relations, racial profiling, community
initiatives to stop youth violence, family relations, and many more.
It allows voices as diverse as that of parents of murder victims, police
and law enforcement, community and social workers, and the youth themselves
who live in these low-income neighbourhoods in Toronto a form of agency
and a chance to express their frustrations and opinions about what is
happening around them, and one could sense the hopelessness and fatalism
among both many of the youth and parents. However, the one major criticism
of the documentary is that it only allowed the voices of young black
males and their single mothers to speak as the main subjects; completely
absent were the voices of young black females or even older black males
(other than law enforcement or community leaders) in the community.
How do they feel, or what do they think, about what is happening around
them? This was never discussed nor acknowledged by the filmmakers at
all (I don't think I even once saw a young black female in the entire
film). However, this absence could be brought up by the instructors,
and regardless, this video is very useful and versatile in helping to
generate discussion on many of the above topics. This documentary would
be good for classes on crime, deviance, policing, race/race relations,
social class, and social structure, both in upper level and Intro courses.
I recommend that the entire video be shown in order for its full impact
to be felt. Elena Chou
(2.5) The notes I took during are exceedingly sparse.
I didn’t learn much. I was disgusted with the rhetoric of repeatedly
showing a dramatization of the young man’s death (based on a transcript
of his cell phone, which happened to be recording) and with the use
of footage from a funeral. I would have liked to be given more concrete
information about police harassment of Black youth. But…the scenes
with the rapper were eye-opening, the perspective given on Toronto was
interesting, and there’s an unusual dramatic tension about the
mother giving up her quest, so I was drawn in despite the tackiness.
Kathy Bischoping
(2) This documentary struck me poignantly by virtue
that it highlights the struggle and dangerous lives of young Black youths,
who are reared by a single parent, reside in public housing or projects,
and are unemployed. Although this documentary highlights issues such
as public housing, unemployment, lack of education, substance abuse,
guns, and community/police relations, its analysis of these social and
legal issues is limited to an emphasis on the violence that usually
results in the death of a young Black male. The quality of this documentary
is also undermined in that potential solutions to the escalating issue
of violence among Blacks are not properly addressed. Carlos Torres (undergraduate)
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