{"id":25449,"date":"2021-07-19T15:56:02","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T22:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000021215"},"modified":"2021-07-19T16:01:08","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T23:01:08","slug":"bang4change-film-presents-an-up-close-look-at-the-george-floyd-protests-in-minneapolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/bang4change-film-presents-an-up-close-look-at-the-george-floyd-protests-in-minneapolis","title":{"rendered":"\u2018#Bang4Change\u2019 film presents an up-close look at the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis"},"content":{"rendered":"

One day after Orange County native Ferin Kidd watched the Minneapolis police murder George Floyd, he cashed out the last $400 in his bank account and bought a one-way plane ticket to the city.<\/p>\n

He had no game plan, no strategy, just his camera and a singular determination to document the unfolding protests on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt it in my heart this is what I have to do, for better or worse,\u201d Kidd, 35, said. \u201cI remember flying on the plane asking myself if this plane goes down and you were going to die out there, would you still be doing this? And the answer was yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kidd landed in Minneapolis on May 27, 2020. The night before, police had broken up peaceful protests with tear gas and rubber bullets. He spent the next five days filming the unrest in what would become his 45-minute documentary film, \u201c#Bang4Change.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CRRuwkJnQjP\/<\/p>\n

The guerilla-style documentary was narrated, filmed, edited and directed by Kidd and largely follows single-mom Ashley Paulson, a fellow activist, as she attempted to rally support and care for injured protestors while also squelching the actions of those causing destruction. The final portion of the film covers a Juneteenth march, helmed by Kidd, in downtown Santa Ana that included a standoff with police.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, July 15, nearly 300 community members, activists, entrepreneurs, legal advocates, Inland Empire elected officials and even major league baseball player Bruce Maxwell (the first MLB player to take a knee during the national anthem), turned out for the sold-out screening of \u201c#Bang4Change\u201d at the Art Theatre of Long Beach on Retro Row. Once the film was over, the crowd gave Kidd a standing ovation.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ferin Kidd holds his son and walks up the aisle while the audience cheers after just watching the “Bang4Change” film at the Art Theatre Thursday, July 15, 2021. Photo by Cheantay Jensen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe only thing more powerful than this film is the audience, because this film can help change the world, but ultimately it\u2019s you guys that got to do it,\u201d he said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Since finishing the film last year, \u201c#Bang4Change\u201d has touched audiences in Santa Ana and Minneapolis. Kidd said he\u2019s working on bringing the film to other states, such as New York and Texas, but progress is slow. \u201cOne of the hardest things to do is convince people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kidd has also reached out to George Floyd\u2019s family, with plans to host a private screening of the film.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, Kidd said he had never planned on making a full-length documentary; he wasn\u2019t even sure what he would use the footage for. When he returned home from Minneapolis, his energy was pulled toward other police brutality protests and social justice movements erupting in Orange County.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t even sure if I had anything worthwhile,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cAfter six months, God just told me like, all right, enough waiting. It’s time now for me to show you what you were doing out there and for the world to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For two weeks Kidd holed himself up in his studio and did little else until he finished. He credits his swift turnaround to his days producing 24-hour music videos with his socially conscious hip-hop label 365 Movement, that is also connected to his company Black OC<\/a>, which advocates and supports underserved communities in Orange County through arts and entrepreneurial mentorship.<\/p>\n

Kidd said in the first two days of editing he had no idea where to start\u2014he\u2019d never endeavored anything on this scale\u2014 but he knew he wanted his film to be powerful, visceral and unflinchingly honest. Judging from the audience’s response in Long Beach he accomplished all of those things.<\/p>\n

\u201c#Bang4Change\u201d combats an insidious narrative spun by conservative media outlets and opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement that intends to discredit the message of George Floyd protests by focusing on the looting and vandalism that occurred.<\/p>\n

In the film, Kidd reveals the key differences between the peaceful protestors and those who had ill intentions, largely through the protagonist Ashley Paulson, who would frequently call-out or even intervene with people causing destruction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we look at our protests, even here in Long Beach, it was not locals destroying Pine [Avenue],\u201d said Renee Quarles, owner of Shades of Afrika, who attended the Art Theatre screening Thursday. \u201cWe are not gang banging. We\u2019re not destroying the community in which we live.\u201d<\/p>\n

In naming his film \u201c#Bang4Change,\u201d Kidd said he was looking for a phrase that would act as more than just a catchy title, but as a call to action. The phrase itself comes from the song \u201cWalk like a Warrior\u201d by hip-hop group Dead Prez: \u201cIf you gonna bang, then bang for change, don’t bang for crazy thangs.\u201d<\/p>\n