Feb 15, 2017Bradley Rayford
The film's producer.
Forum – For Ahkeem
Feb 15, 2017Jeremy S. Levine, Landon Van Soest, Nicholas Weissman, Iyabo Boyd, Lily Henderson
The film team during Q&A.
Forum – For Ahkeem
Directors Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest on their film
Daje is seventeen, and just as unruly and caught up in her own thoughts as others of her age the world over. We only realise her future hangs in the balance when we see her go to juvenile court with her mother: she’s been expelled from school for rebelliousness and has just one last chance to get back on track. Yet the true gravity of her situation only gradually becomes clear: such as when we see the many names of her friends written on her notebook followed by R.I.P. and a recent date, or when Daje talks to her boyfriend about whether she – or he – might also die so young.
For Ahkeem explores the cosmos of a young black woman in St. Louis, Missouri, not far from Ferguson, where Michael Brown was shot in August 2014. The film adheres to a strictly personal perspective to recount her upbringing in today’s United States and show the predetermined paths open to her – lined as they are with barricaded brick buildings. But it also reveals Daje’s talent at avoiding the pitfalls of being either a victim or a model student, while evolving into an impressive film protagonist – of a documentary that depicts her complicated life more in the style of a poignant feature than a social reportage.
by
Jeremy S. Levine
Landon Van Soest
USA 2017
English
Documentary form89’ · Colour
Born in 1984 in Beverly, Massachusetts, USA. He studied Documentary Studies. In 2006, he co-founded the Transient Pictures production company along with Landon Van Soest. The two founded the following year the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.
Filmography2014 Am I Next; 5 min., co-directed by Nicholas Weissman 2017 For Ahkeem; co-directed by Landon Van Soest
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2017
Born in 1981 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He studied Film and Photography. In 2006, he co-founded the Transient Pictures production company along with Jeremy Levine. The two founded the following year the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.
Filmography2010 Good Fortune 2017 For Ahkeem; co-directed by Jeremy Levine
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2017
Iyabo Boyd
Weissman Studio
Transient Pictures
WORLD SALES
Wide House
Paris, Frankreich
+33 153 950464
ac@widehouse.org
Submarine Entertainment (North America)
New York, USA
+1 212 6251410
ben@submarine.com