![This is [Not] Who We Are cover image](/img/covers/thisisnotwhoweare.png)
This is [Not] Who We Are 2022
Distributed by The Video Project, 145 - 9th St., Suite 230, San Francisco, CA 94103; 800-475-2638
Produced by Katrina Miller and Beret E. Strong
Directed by Beret E. Strong and Katrina Miller
Streaming, 116 mins
General Adult
African Americans; Race Relations
Date Entered: 08/28/2023
Reviewed by Timothy W. Kneeland, History and Political Science Department, Nazareth College of Rochester, Rochester, NYIn 2019 Zayd Atkinson, while doing his job as a student picking up trash outside a residence hall, was accosted by a policeman who ultimately pulled a gun on the young man and brought in six other officers for backup. Zayd's crime was being Black in Boulder, Colorado, one of the whitest and most privileged cities in America. The filmmaker, Katrina Miller, effectively uses this incident, revealed through the arresting officer’s body camera footage, to tell the story of Boulder and its history of structural racism. Miller provides short clips of the incident throughout the film which are both dramatic and disheartening. This is not a film about police brutality; it is a film about structural racism and white privilege, which encourages police brutality.
The history of Boulder is told through the Black perspective, contextualizing the racial harms perpetuated over time. Drawing on the voices of young and old, the film connects the audience to the lived experience and daily burdens placed on ordinary Black citizens of the United States. Although set in Boulder, this could happen and has happened in hundreds of places across the United States.
By allowing the Black community their voice, Miller forces the audience to listen and learn. One of the most affecting scenes comes when a young girl, Celine Miriam Samuel, articulates her fear that she could “all of a sudden be shot” by police. The other voices in the film convey to white viewers the need to step back and let the Black community lead.
This highly recommended film would be perfect for starting a conversation about structural racism in the viewer’s local towns and cities.
Awards:Boulder International Film Festival, People's Choice Award; Boston International Film Festival, Indie Spec Special Recognition Award; Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary; Hamilton Black Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary; Baltimore International Black Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary; Berlin Indie Film Festival, Best Editing
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