BENTONVILLE FF REVIEW: Sonia Lowman’s documentary BLACK BOYS delves deep into issues black Americans face today

Sonia Lowman’s documentary Black Boys examines the pressures, challenges, tragedies, and hopes of the next generation of Black boys in America from almost every angle. It’s laser-like focus and deft mix of personal stories, systemic observations, and sharp facts takes us on a slow-moving revelation into big topics without deviating one bit. The documentary shows the audience a truly empathic story of the Black experience without flinching at the legacy of brutality as well as the kernel of hope nestled within.

The film breaks down into several parts: Body, Mind, Voice, Heart. Each section delves in-depth current day issues affecting Black Americans. The film opens with body and delves into the world of sports and it’s convoluted continuation of objectifying Black bodies. It’s a concrete introduction with a clear thesis unafraid to show direct evidence linking slave auctions to the NFL draft in a way that feels both horrifying and revelatory. It tells this story through Greg Scruggs (a former defensive tight end for the Seattle Seahawks.) He doesn’t shame audiences of the sport, choosing only to focus on the issue. From there the film delves deeper and deeper peeling back the layers of concrete issues into societal, individual concepts until it reveals the tiny center of its film surrounding the need for love.

This film ranks very high for me personally not only for it’s deft narrative weave but also because it feels credible. From famous rapper Vic Mensa to Scruggs to Carmelo Anthony to poet/activist Malcolm Jenkins to educator Sharif El-Mekki the subjects cross a broad spectrum of personalities from some of the most well-known Black neighborhoods: Baltimore, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Chicago namely. The list of figures feels comprehensive and includes not only experts but Black boys the subject of the very film. I

One thing worth lauding is Lowman’s choice to include interviews with not only prominent writers and professors but boots-on-the-ground teachers and principals and young boys. So much of what makes this movie work is based around the genuine empathy on display and how this film gives voice to these people and whatever they have to say. It doesn’t need flashy kinetic typography or horribly gut-wrenching interviews of violence to make it’s point clear and it has a lot to say.

A documentary typically relies on the edit to carry out it’s execution and I can’t imagine the hours of footage left on the cutting table for something as tight as only ninety minutes. It transitions smoothly from one section the next introducing a new topic born out of the current one so it feels like one lengthy dialogue and so natural you don’t know where one section stops and one section ends. It’s wholistic in that way, reminding you that these subjects are interconnected. The fact that they leaven the story with personal stories from all of it’s subjects really lends it strength. It’s not only factual but anecdotal and it leans into these stories.

Lowman’s not afraid to show us terrifying images. Plenty of documentaries do it, but it’s unbiased simple version of police cameras or old photographs doesn’t bother to dress up the footage. It’s there on display. It hits like a gut punch and Lowman often juxtaposes those images with a beautiful boy’s smiling face. The end of the film comes with a quick cut montage of Black boys and men smiling directly into camera and I felt so entranced I couldn’t look away. I was utterly fascinated and impressed by it.

With a bouncing soundtrack, an honest narrative, and an unflinching gaze Black Boys has my full heart and soul. It’s full of stories told by people who want to share their humanity as much as the confines of the American system (education, penal, athletic, and so on.) By the very end it tidies up its last couple anecdotes and sends us out into the world feeling darkened, enlightened, troubled, and impressed. There is so much work left to do in this world and this documentary will guarantee to motivate you.