Telling William's story won't bring him back, but at least it will let the world know he lived. “I just wanted to know all the reasons exactly why.” Then: “I’m not angry. September 15, 2017 Hopefully, after By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content.The writer-turned-director told VICE about how his Netflix film helped him understand the sacrifices his parents made for the American Dream.A breakup and my 36th birthday sent me to Newport, Rhode Island, to live like the rich, white, yapping socialites I hold in my heart.Inspired by a family history with the eating disorder pica, director Carlo Mirabella-Davis depicts one woman's attempt to find herself.Jeff Reitz started going to the Happiest Place on Earth every day in 2012, until the pandemic stopped his streak at nearly 3,000 consecutive visits.The story of how British police recruited a vulnerable teenager to spy on dangerous drug gangs.Watching a director’s whole filmography is just tough enough to make leisure feel productive.Film industry workers and union reps told VICE that production during the pandemic is going to be risky, expensive, and ruled by compromise. Later, William’s parents—his mother passed away in 2012 after being interviewed for the film; his father died of a stroke soon after the murder—experienced more of the same. How Much Does A Kunekune Pig Cost, Csn Wick Guide, “We were received as folks being informed that an investigation had to be conducted.” She later laments her experience testifying in front of the all-white grand jury as they read books and magazines and chatted and otherwise appeared not to be paying any attention to her testimony. We always tried to teach you guys that you see character, not color. View All Photos (1) this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
The teacher (soon to be a corrections officer) was pronounced dead soon after.For the past ten years, director Yance Ford has been investigating his family's story and the events that unfurled following his brother's murder. All families have their own stories; the Fords' story is one of bloodshed. All rights reserved. It creaks under the weight of the anguish it bears. “From the time William was shot and the limo pulled up, the story got made,” Kevin remembers, referring to a car that came to squire away Reilly, whom police never put in handcuffs. “I enjoyed my brother the hero, and a month or so later, that hero was dead.” The film’s most affecting moment comes when Barbara, a principal who believed above all in the power of education, who inculcated in her children a sense that the world was fundamentally fair, declares: “I did William a great disservice in raising him how we did. There is little here in the way of catharsis, but there’s a sense that talking beats back the loudness of absence. “The house had a stillness unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life,” Barbara remembers of the aftermath of her son’s death. Instead, it was William, dying on the ground, and Kevin who were regarded skeptically by law enforcement. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Your California Privacy Rights. Pitbull Puppies For Sale Mn, William was a protective older brother; a Howard University student; an aspiring corrections officer struggling to lose the 25 pounds that would allow him to pass his physical. Strong Island, which airs on Netflix today, begins with a phone call from the former prosecutor at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office who handled William’s case. Newsday. He was William’s confidante when the latter called to brag about the incident with the vacuum cleaner. “I did learn new information, but at the end of the process, I was still left with the realization that the man who killed my brother should have gone to trial but didn’t.”Though Reilly and the officials who originally handled the case could not be reached for comment by PEOPLE, former Suffolk County, New York, investigator James Hughes says in the documentary that the evidence supported the grand jury’s decision.The investigation into William’s shooting death is officially considered closed — though, with “We have to deal with the way that race influences our criminal justice system,” Yance says. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Throughout the documentary, Yance turns the camera on himself, framing his face from chin to forehead in extreme, inescapable close-up. In April 1992, black 24-year-old teacher William Ford Jr. was gunned down by Mark Reilly, a … Trek Domane Vs Cannondale Synapse 2019, This is about that: who William was, a reclamation of his identity and character. It is jagged with anger. STRONG ISLAND, 2017. “I’m not going to do that.”, That slam-the-door-in-your-face attitude characterized much of the investigation into William’s death. Unfortunately, When the prosecutor brought forth the evidence against Reilly, a grand jury comprised of 23 white people failed to indict. Who Is Nancy Pelosi's Husband And What Does He Do, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Director Yance Ford chronicles the arc of his family across history, geography and tragedy - from the racial segregation of the Jim Crow South to the promise of New York City; from the presumed safety of middle class suburbs, to the maelstrom of an unexpected, violent death. Odd Couple Apartment Layout, Although Ford was unarmed, he became the prime suspect in his own murder. At the 2018 Oscars, Long Island saw one of their own up for an award. Ad Choices. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. Strong Island is about a murder that happened in 1992. Mark Reilly, a 19-year-old mechanic at Super Stang Auto Body in Central Islip, New York, where Ford’s girlfriend’s car was being serviced. “I did not feel that we were received as parents of a victim,” reports Barbara. In the new Netflix documentary Strong Island, William's brother, Yance, tells the story of his sibling's full, promising life and his tragic death at age 24 in Suffolk County, Long Island. Reilly claimed self-defense. Greige Kitchen Cabinets With Black Countertops, Who Is Nancy Pelosi's Husband And What Does He Do, Greige Kitchen Cabinets With Black Countertops. Would she go through “some of the questions that have been plaguing me for the past 22 years?” asks Yance. We appreciate your understanding. Karcher G 3025 Bh Pump, But it’s actually a far more personal, probing project, less a relitigation than a reckoning, less a procedural than a film about the Sisyphean task of processing terrible grief. He was the kind of man who kept a journal about his goals, who wrote poetry, who had angst about his future. © 2020 Condé Nast. Zeke Young Disability, It appears that you are trying to access our website from a location in the European Union, which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Filmmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a young black man, a 24-year-old William Ford Jr. who is also his brother. Ford’s death, as his grieving mother puts it, was “in vain.”, Twenty-five years later, filmmaker Yance Ford has revisited the details of his older brother’s death in a challenging, emotionally stinging documentary. In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and killed during a dispute with a 19-year-old auto mechanic named Mark Reilly. Undertale Rebind Keys, Reilly was never brought to trial. Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more. “No,” the lawyer responds. What Do Snow Leopards Eat, July 24, 2018 We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. And I hated that moment. The Sky Is Gray, In college, struggling with his sexuality and gender identity (he is trans), the younger Ford saw it as a bonding moment, and so he kept the call a secret from his parents. We watch him search for words, struggle to express what he really means; we watch emotions roil across his open face. William Ford Jr. was shot and killed on April 7, 1992, an incident at the center of the documentary “Strong Island.” Something deep inside his family … In 1992, an unarmed 24-year-old Long Island man named William Ford, Jr., was shot and killed during a dispute with a 19-year-old auto mechanic named Mark Reilly. Copyright © Ford, a imposingly large former high school football player who had previously come to Reilly’s auto body shop and allegedly thrown a vacuum cleaner in frustration, was not alive to defend himself. “I became very angry with myself because at one point I began to cry. ... Reilly claimed self-defense and Ford said an all-white grand jury declined to indict Reilly. Ford was black, Reilly white. “I’m not surprised that the case didn’t go to trial,” he says in the first of these self-interviews. Because I felt that they were going to say, here is another black woman who didn’t do her job with her child, and now she wants us to make somebody pay.”, The filmmaker and his mother both find opportunities to blame themselves for William’s loss (“The madness that is my brother’s death would drive me mad if I weren’t able to hold myself accountable for at least a small part of it,” Yance explains). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. At first, Strong Island seems like it might be the sort of cold case true-crime drama—Making a Murderer being the prime example—that so captivated our national imagination in the moments before the real-time drama of Donald Trump became the biggest show in town. document.write(currentYear); 2016 Nissan Rogue Rear Seat Removal, Reilly claimed self-defense and Ford said an all-white grand jury declined to indict Reilly. One night in April 1992, William Ford Jr, a 24-year-old African American, was shot dead by Mark Reilly, a young white mechanic. “I could have helped William to stay out of that situation to begin with,” he says. Early 2000 Songs, I’m also not willing to accept that someone else gets to say who William was.”. Through this process, the wounds of the past might be healed. Simplehuman Flip Top Dish Rack, The Netflix documentary “Strong Island” was nominated for best documentary feature, but lost out to “Icarus.” The film follows the 1992 murder of a black schoolteacher and its aftermath on Long Island, as told by his brother Yance Ford, who grew up in Central Islip. because of this regulation we cannot provide access at this time. “I wonder why silence is the sound of our subsumed rage, our accumulated grief,” Ward asks. Nook Won't Charge Orange Light, var currentYear = new Date().getFullYear(); All rights reserved. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. His autopsy report read: “The body is that of a well-developed obese black male. Zig And Sharko Season 3, Many, many times I wonder: How could I be so wrong?”, Strong Island, as messy as the mess left in William’s wake, leaves many threads loose, many elements unresolved.
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