HBO will be debuting a documentary that explores life after the Freddie Gray tragedy. The documentary is called Baltimore Rising and will air in November.
HBO’s documentary
Baltimore Rising is coming soon, and will be an attempt to bring forth a more realistic and humanized narrative and perspective of the protests that started after the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray two summers ago in Baltimore.
Sonja Sohn, best known for her roles as Detective Samantha Baker on ABC’s series
Body of Proof and Detective Kima Greggs on HBO’s
The Wire, is the documentary’s director. While Sohn is an actress mainly, she also co-wrote the independent film
Slam which she also had a starring role in.
The documentary will follow “activists, police officers, community leaders and gang affiliates, who struggle to hold Baltimore together, even as the homicide rate hits record levels, and explores how to make change when change is hard,”
according to HBO.
Freddy Gray was a 25-year black male who died after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody. Gray’s injury and death was attributed to police negligence as the arresting officers put Gray in a van without a seatbelt. When the tragedy occurred in 2015, both violent riots and peaceful protests erupted.
Baltimore Rising will chronicle the
efforts of people on all sides who fight for justice and work to make their city better, sometimes coming together in unexpected ways, discovering a common humanity where before they often saw each other only as adversaries.”
The documentary will offer a more in-depth perspective of the events after Freddie Gray’s death rather than the sensationalized news perspective brought forth by the media. The documentary will spotlight certain key figures such as Genard “Shadow” Barr, who is a former gang member and community leader, and now works to mitigate violence and bridge the divide between residents and police in the Penn-North area of Baltimore. Also spotlighted will be several activists, members of the police force and Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who has been head of the Department since taking over in the aftermath of the rioting and violence after the mayor fired previous commissioner Anthony Batts.
What are your thoughts on the new documentary? Let us know in the comments.
