Driving While Black (film)
Driving While Black is a 2015 American black comedy film directed by Paul Sapiano, starring Dominique Purdy.[1] Inspired by the real life experiences of Purdy, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sapiano, the film tells the story of a black man who has to deal with racial profiling in Los Angeles, California.[1] It was released in the United States on February 1, 2018.[1]
Driving While Black | |
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Directed by | Paul Sapiano |
Produced by | Djay Brawner |
Written by |
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Starring | Dominique Purdy |
Cinematography | Bryant Jansen |
Edited by | Enrique Aguirre |
Release date |
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Running time | 94 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Cast
- Dominique Purdy
- Sheila Tejada
- Peter Cilella
- Joanie Bovil
- Gloria Garayua
- John Mead
- Mayank Bhatter
Release
The film had its world premiere at the San Francisco Black Film Festival on June 13, 2015.[2] It was released in the United States on February 1, 2018.[1]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63% based on 8 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 6.8/10.[3]
B. Alan Orange of MovieWeb described the film as "half comedy of errors and half hard-bitten realism, tucked into a sly treatise on 21st-century over-policing."[4] Dante James of Film Threat gave the film a 7 out of 10, writing, "it's ultimately about how policing in Black communities need to change, but there is also a strong message for all of us that we need to be better about protecting ourselves when we find a cop at our car windows."[5] Aimee Murillo of OC Weekly called the film "relevant, hilarious, well-acted and totally engaging."[6] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter commented that "Though some will take offense, those ready for a quick time out from fight-the-power indignation may well roll with the picture, which relies on the charms of Purdy, an off-screen musician known as Koreatown Oddity."[7] Katie Walsh of Los Angeles Times wrote, "The film coasts on Purdy's laid-back stoner charm, and though the film itself is a bit too slack, it's a fine showcase for his voice, which delivers some pointed social commentary despite the chill vibes."[8] Scott Tobias of Variety stated that "Few will likely pull over for this micro-indie, but Purdy's effortless charisma in the lead role deserves a citation."[9]
The film won the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 2015 New Orleans Film Festival.[10]
References
- Mack, Andrew (January 18, 2018). "Driving While Black: Watch This Exclusive Clip From Award Winning Film". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- "Full Schedule (Text)". San Francisco Black Film Festival. 2015. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- "Driving While Black (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- Orange, B. Alan (December 29, 2017). "Driving While Black Trailer Mixes Comedy with Biting Commentary". MovieWeb. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- James, Dante (February 1, 2018). "Driving While Black". Film Threat. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- Murillo, Aimee (February 15, 2019). "Sweet Streams: Driving While Black". OC Weekly. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- DeFore, John (February 8, 2018). "'Driving While Black': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- Walsh, Katie (February 1, 2018). "Review: 'Driving While Black' delivers pointed commentary with a laid-back L.A. vibe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- Tobias, Scott (January 30, 2018). "Film Review: 'Driving While Black'". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- Shoukri, Tarek (October 28, 2015). "'Room,' 'Driving While Black' Among New Orleans Film Festival Audience Award Winners". IndieWire. Retrieved July 30, 2020.