“Whose Streets?” film screening and discussion with director Sabaah Folayan

Date / Time

February 6, 2025

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Celebrate Black History Month at the Chicago Justice Gallery with a series of free film screenings that correspond with themes from our current exhibition, “Echoes of Ferguson,” including abolition, place-making, unrest and liberation.

This special screening of the film “Whose Streets?” will be accompanied by a discussion with director Sabaah Folayan and co-producer and cinematographer Chris Renteria.

“Whose Streets?” is an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising, told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice. From the filmmakers: “When unarmed teenager Michael Brown is killed by police and left lying in the street for hours, it marks a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis, Missouri. Grief, long-standing racial tensions and renewed anger bring residents together to hold vigil and protest this latest tragedy. Empowered parents, artists and teachers from around the country come together as freedom fighters. As the National Guard descends on Ferguson with military-grade weaponry, these young community members become the torchbearers of a new resistance.”

Folayan is a transdisciplinary artist who uses film, writing and visual media to create opportunities for healing in the face of structural and intimate violence. She made her directorial debut at the Sundance Film Festival with the feature-length documentary “Whose Streets?”, co-directed by Damon Davis. The film was supported by Ford, MacArthur and other foundations and nominated for Peabody, Critic’s Choice, Gotham and NAACP Image awards, as well as festival honors worldwide.

Folayan’s other work includes writing the series finale of HBO’s “Betty,” a critically acclaimed comedy series about a crew of young female skateboarders in New York City. Her second feature documentary, “Look at Me: XXXTentation,” premiered at SXSW 2022 and is now streaming on Hulu. Her third feature documentary, “Ratified,” co-directed by Deborah Riley Draper, premiered at the BronzeLens Film Festival in 2024. In addition to her directorial work, from 2022-2023, she acted as the interim director of the Firelight Media documentary lab, where she mentored BIPOC directors making their first or second feature documentary. Folayan is a 2022 Pew fellow and a 2023 Chicken & Egg Breakthrough awardee.

Space is limited, so RSVP today.

Be sure to check out our other scheduled screenings by clicking the links below:

Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m.: Double feature screening of “Residue” and “Arkee” at the Chicago Justice Gallery
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m.: Special performance, panel and screening of “One Million Experiments” at Student Center East Tower, Room 605
Thursday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m.: Screening of “The Kinloch Doc” at the Chicago Justice Gallery
Thursday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m.: Screening of “Beneath the Surface” with a special program at the Chicago Justice Gallery

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