Film: 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets
Director: Marc Silver
Genre: Documentary
Producers: Minette Nelson, Carolyn Hepburn
Distributed by: Dogwoof Films
Review by Awra Tewolde-Berhan
Marc Silver’s gripping documentary 3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets, is like a thriller and serves as a painful reminder of how a fleeting moment can destroy a life. In this case, the tragic murder of an African American teenager, 17 year old Jordan Davis, at the hands of a white middle aged man called Michael Dunn, on 23 November 2012.
Dunn took offence at the volume of the music coming from a car containing Jordan and his friends. Angry words were exchanged. Three and a half minutes later Dunn shot 10 bullets at the unarmed young men. Three bullets hit and killed Jordan. When Dunn was arrest the following day, he claimed that he shot at the car in self defence. But 3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets uncovers a different truth.
Using real live media footage interspersed with courtroom testimonies from Jordan’s friends and overlayed with vocal commentary from witnesses – all delivered at a hearty pace – you know you are set for an intense and powerful ride.
Silver tries hard to be democratic by exploring both sides of the story, with the courtroom as the primary setting for a tale of hate, healing and ultimately love. We are also taken beyond those bleak walls into Jordan’s short life to meet his loved ones.
His devastated parents, Lucia McBath and Ron Davis, carry their son’s story throughout the documentary, ensuring that his presence remains centre stage. Aided by Silver’s gentle interviewing, an intimate conversation is had with Jordan’s grieving mother, who makes her emotional mark from early in the film when she simply says her son’s name and date of birth.
Jordan’s parents are seen at their most unguarded – at home, in their dressing gowns, or watching old home videos of their happy looking son. This approach may throw up questions about intrusion, yet it gives an important insight, voice and presence to those most traumatised by such tragedies – the parents.
Silver also places the spotlight on Dunn. What is exposed about his character in court, is of a man who serves as an ugly symbol of white supremacy. Dunn’s racial hypocrisy is revealed through a powerfully constructed sequence of close-up shots of Dunn’s smug demeanour juxtaposed with images of Jordan’s vulnerable looking family; a stark reminder of the emotional scarring he has caused.
Dunn’s inherent racial bias comes to light when he is quoted as saying: “I hate that thug music.” According to some of the young black men featured in the film, the word “thug is the new ‘N’ word”. But it’s the exposure of Dunn’s private phone calls which highlight his deep-rooted racism.
To Dunn, “they are racist”, not him. More troubling still is his belief that his view of hip hop has no connection to his irrational hate. In his mind he is the victim who was protecting himself from young violent black men who lived a thug life.
With the #BlackLivesMatter movement, many African Americans are becoming more empowered with the ongoing media exposure of unarmed black men and women being killed by police officers. With that in mind, these long, lingering and haunting scenes will stay with the audience way after the film has finished.
It is understandable why 3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets was chosen by Marlon Palmer to relaunch Kush Film Boutique, which showcases socially conscious films. It goes beyond the sound bites used by the mainstream media and offers an opportunity for honest dialogue on how to stop these tragedies from continuing as Jordan Davis and his parents are sadly not alone.
Additional reporting by Joy Francis
3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets is now in UK cinemas and is available online.
You can watch the trailer here.