AKILLA’S ESCAPE
SCREENED: JULY 21, 2022 IN A DRIVE-IN PRESENTATION BEHIND THE WHITBY MUNICIPAL BUILDING. THIS FEATURE PRESENTATION FOLLOWED THE SHORT FILM ‘WE WENT OUT.’
LOCATION: 575 ROSSLAND RD E., WHITBY
About the film:
In a crime-noir about the urban child-soldier, Akilla Brown (played by Saul Williams) captures a fifteen-year-old Jamaican boy in the aftermath of an armed robbery. Over one gruelling night, Akilla confronts a cycle of generational violence he thought he escaped.
Director’s bio:
Charles Officer’s filmmaking career began with a slate of award-winning short films that premiered at International Film Festivals around the world. He is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre Director Residency where his debut feature ‘Nurse.Fighter.Boy’ was produced and received 10 Genie nominations. Charles followed with the feature documentary ‘Mighty Jerome’ which won an Emmy Award in 2012 for Best Historical Documentary. In 2017, he made ‘The Skin We’re In,’ featuring journalist and activist Desmond Cole and the feature documentary ‘Unarmed Verses.’ Charles also directed multiple episodes of dramatic series such as ‘Rookie Blue,’ ‘Private Eyes,’ ‘21 Thunder’ and ‘Ransom’ before his feature film ‘Akilla’s Escape’ began production in spring 2019.
Directors Chat
Charles Officer and Ian Kamau discuss the themes of generational trauma, growing up in the in-between spaces, and negotiating identity as racialized youth that is so prevalent in their films in this very personal chat.
