Yance Ford began production on Strong Island in 2008. When the film premiered at Sundance in 2017, audiences were presented with a personal account of how Ford’s family coped with the tragic loss of William Ford in 1992. Perhaps in a different year, the story would have just been that: a personal account. However, outside of Sundance, news headlines and protests revealed a culture that was no more equipped to bring justice for the deaths black and brown people, making Ford’s work even more pertinent. On September 15th, Strong Island will be released on Netflix amidst a backdrop of America that hasn’t yet reckoned with issues involving race.

Earlier this year, Yance Ford made his directorial debut with the highly personal documentary Strong Island. The film, which premiered at Sundance, is screening March 19 and 20 in New Directors New Films 2017 at Lincoln Center and MoMA in New York. Strong Island is an examination of the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother 25 years ago, and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free. Through old and new footage, woven together with Ford’s narration, the film tells the story of Ford’s family and how they’ve reconciled the killing of one of their own.