Film Review: ‘The Interrupters’ Seek Peace One Soul at a Time

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CHICAGO – Chicago is a divided city. On one end is prosperity, modernity and all the trappings therein. On the other, abject poverty, anger and killing. One dedicated group is trying to diminish the killing end, and is documented by director Steve James (”Hoop Dreams”) in “The Interrupters.”

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

The basis for The Interrupters is academic. If violence is viewed as a disease, what kind of “vaccination” can be introduced to heal it? This was a theory of a local professor named Gary Slutkin, who began the group CeaseFire. Director Steve James follows the members of CeaseFire, ex-convicts and gang members who are back on the streets, trying to negotiate peace in volatile urban conflict, whether it be domestic, gang related or simply anger that cannot be satisfied until someone lies dead.

The Interrupters focuses on both the facilitators of CeaseFire and the people who benefit from their work. Gary Slutkin is an epidemiologist who worked in Africa for ten years fighting infectious diseases. He then viewed violence in the same way, as a disease that can be arrested if the most infected can be isolated and healed. He founded CeaseFire on that principle, and brought counselors in who know the susceptible street environments, and can negotiate using the language and intuition that can make the difference. It was Tio Hardiman, a director of CeaseFire, who came up with the concept of the Interrupters. The idea is to individually inject some trust, love and compassion into lives that are starving for those ideals.

The documentary follows three of Hardiman’s street therapists – Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra. Matthews is a daughter of a notorious Chicago gang leader, and she followed the same path in her younger life, until finding solace in her Muslim faith and family. Williams adjusted in a similar fashion, after his father was killed on the streets when he was 12 years old. Bocanegra actually was involved in a killing at 17 years of age. He uses his work in CeaseFire as part of his penance for the incident.

“The Interrupters” continues its limited release in Chicago on August 12th. See listings for theaters and show times. Featuring interviews with Gary Slutkin, Tio Hardiman, Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra. Directed by Steve James. Not Rated.

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Interrupters”

Ameena Matthews, Director Steve James and Producer Alex Kotlowitz in ‘The Interrupters’
Ameena Matthews, Director Steve James and Producer Alex Kotlowitz in ‘The Interrupters’
Photo credit: Kartemquin Films

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Interrupters”

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