THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON
A timely and powerful depiction of a Black high school student forever changed by an encounter with the police
Description
A bold, moving, and palpably political story, THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON speaks directly to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and calls for police reform in our country in a profoundly human way.
This Spotlight film will premiere Monday October 19 at 8PM and remain available through the end of the Festival
High school is always hard, but for Black teenager Tunde Johnson (Steven Silver, 13 REASONS WHY) it's literally life or death. On the same day he bravely chooses to come out to his parents, Tunde is forced to relive — in a seemingly endless time loop — the trauma he experiences at the hands of the local police and a constant battle with his closeted jock boyfriend to be open about their relationship. Ali LeRoi's debut narrative feature is simultaneously a searing indictment of modern policing and a singular, must-see character study that gives Silver a multi-dimensional role the young actor meets with gravity, hope, and depth. Nigerian-born Stanley Kalu's sterling screenplay signals the arrival of a rising star who isn't afraid to push boundaries to achieve truth and catharsis.
Cast: Steven Silver, Spencer Neville, Nicola Peltz and Joey Pollari
Writer: Stanley Kalu
Part of The 32nd Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Presented in partnership with Harlem Pride
Director
Ali LeRoi