2 rugby-themed documentaries centered on black teens, in about as many months!
The first, which I profiled in November, is from filmmaker Dennis Lovelace, titled SCRUM – Rugby in the Inner City – in short, a feature-length documentary that follows the journeys made by student athletes from ICEF Public Schools' highly successful rugby program, as they travel around the globe to learn, compete, and connect with people from different backgrounds – all culminating in trip to New Zealand to compete, in March 2012.
The second one, which I learned about today, is a production of ICEF Public Schools, titled Red, White, Black and Blue, which chronicles the rugby program at ICEF – a K-12 public charter school network in South Los Angeles – and the team’s trip to New Zealand in spring 2012, where the students interacted with different cultures and discovered new opportunities while competing in rugby.
Stuart Krohn, Director of ICEF Rugby, states: "Rugby is a chance for our students to step outside the box and try something different… The camaraderie in this sport is special – we stay with host families and eat meals with the opposing team, so kids get the opportunity to see how other people live. Our kids have the ability to suspend judgment and defy the stereotypes that other people might have of them."
The film is currently touring the film festival circuit, and will next screen at the Pan African Film Festival, in Los Angeles, next month.
Trailer below:
