The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival is in full swing here in New York City and we previewed the films and events we were most looking forward to last week. We had the opportunity to attend the premiere of Say Her Name: The Life And Death of Sandra Bland.
This documentary, co-directed and co-produced by Kate Davis and David Helibroner gives insight into a tremendous political activist whose death, almost three years ago, still leaves a nation with unanswered questions as we grapple with serious violent conflict along racial and socio-economical lines.
On the red carpet, we caught up with the co-directors/producers and discussed the challenges of making a documentary around the explosive themes of racism and police brutality. Davis and Heilbroner talk about using a journalistic lens to approach the subject matter, and how their personal biases and feelings about the Sandra Bland case impacted the making of this documentary.
Davis and Heilbroner also talk about trust being the key to a project that is so sensitive in nature. They spent time getting to know the Bland family and showed empathy and earned their trust in order to tell Sandra’s powerful story.
If you are in the NYC area the documentary will be screening through the weekend, check the Tribeca Film Festival site for more details. The documentary will be released on HBO later this year.
See my full red carpet interview with Kate Davis and David Heilbroner below.