On Thursday, March 23, the Program for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Hopkins hosted director Malaika Aminata for a screening and discussion of her 2015 documentary Not About a Riot. The film follows the events of the Baltimore Uprising, specifically between April 23 and May 1. The movie was shot by Aminata, a Morgan State University graduate and Baltimore resident, and was developed and produced independently by the director and others. As the title implies, the documentary avoids any depictions of the violence that occurred during this time period. Instead, Aminata’s film directs its attention to peaceful demonstrations, non-violent protests, impromptu concerts and artistic gatherings. Music features prominently in the film, especially in an extended scene dedicated to a small rap show set in front of a row house.
The director filmed throughout Baltimore, conducting interviews with residents and recording images of the recovering city. Aminata’s film is advertised as “the story the media didn’t show.” This tag line is a reference to the press’s focus on the violence that occurred during the day of April 25 and the night of April 28 in 2015.
The movie is shot with a handheld camera, often from within crowds of protesters or during protest events. Aminata personally interviews a number of Baltimoreans who express both sympathy and anger towards the protests. Those shown in the movie, both anonymous protesters and personal subjects, represent a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. In general, the film tends to follow a group of Aminata’s roommates and friends, some of whom helped her produce the movie.
As the film focuses on Baltimore and its people, it pays tribute to the city. The credits open with the phrase “Starring: Baltimore,” referencing the many active and passive participants in the movie.
After the close of the film, Aminata addressed the audience and answered questions. During her talk, Aminata spoke about herself and her life in Baltimore as well as some aspects of her filmmaking process.
A Georgia native, she studied journalism at Morgan State University. While her major was print journalism, Aminata said she had a camera and liked to “capture life” through this medium.
She noted the documentary grew out of her attending a protest with her camera and filming her surroundings. While the documentary was not originally a planned project, it arose from her interest in filming the events going on in the city.
Aminata also explained she was organizing her own protest at the time. She described the event, which is featured in the film, as “art activism.” According to Aminata, her activities organizing the art activism rally took her throughout the city, which contributed to the production of the film.
Aminata, in response to a question from the audience, said the first showing of the film was in fact an informal screening at the 2015 Artscape, the annual Baltimore arts event. The film was shown with the help of local artistic collective Luminous Intervention, which Aminata is currently a member of. The group projects messages, often activist ones, in public spaces.
Aminata said the first “official” screening was at the Baltimore artistic space EMP as part of the in-house A/V Cart series. The space is managed by a local group called the EMP Collective, a nonprofit that promotes the arts.
Aminata also spoke of the importance of screening the film in an effort to bring people together and create a dialogue surrounding social and political change.
When asked about her inspiration for the film, the director said she felt as though filming was not a choice as much as it was a necessity. She also spoke of the importance of art as a tool of inclusion which can voice a variety of perspectives.
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