The Interrupters (2011)

Director:

Steve James

Writer:

Alex Kotlowitz (New York Times magazine article)

Release Date:

12 August 2011 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Crime

Tagline:

Every City Needs Its Heroes

Plot:

A year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence.

Plot Keywords:

Gang Leader | Redemption | Revenge | Hero | Reference To Shane Burnett

Awards:

5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Tio Hardiman	...	Himself
Ameena Matthews	...	Herself
Toya Batey	...	Herself
Cobe Williams	...	Himself
Gary Slutkin	...	Himself
Earl Sawyer	...	Himself
Bud Oliver	...	Himself
Kenneth Oliver	...	Himself
Caprysha Anderson	...	Heraelf
Sheikh Rasheed	...	Himself
Alfreda Williams	...	Herself
Mildred Jones	...	Herself
Mildred Williams	...	Herself
Lillian 'Madea' Smith	...	Herself
Rashida	...	Herself
Malcolm Malik	...	Himself
Bob Jackson	...	Himself
Anjanette Albert	...	Herself
Rhaea Albert	...	Herself
Eddie Bocanegra	...	Himself
Andrea Williams	...	Herself
Quinn Williams	...	Himself
Latrell Williams	...	Himself
Qu'vonnay Williams	...	Herself
Dre Williams	...	Himself
Norman L. Kerr	...	Himself
James 'China Joe' Lofton	...	Himself
Flamo	...	Himself
Rodney Hot Rod' Phillips	...	Himself
Joel Sanchez	...	Himself
Spencer Leak	...	Himself
'Lil' Mikey' Davis	...	Himself
La Shawn K. Ford	...	Himself
Fernando Bocanegra	...	Himself
Alex Bocanegra	...	Himself
Paula Bocanegra	...	Herself
Kathryn Saclarides	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Derrion Albert	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard M. Daley	...	Himself (archive footage)
Arne Duncan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jeff Fort	...	Himself (archive footage)
Eric Holder	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jesse Jackson	...	Himself (archive footage)

Directed by
Steve James

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alex Kotlowitz		New York Times magazine article

Produced by
Raney Aronson	....	series senior producer: Frontline (as Raney Aronson-Rath)
David Fanning	....	executive producer: Frontline
Sally Jo Fifer	....	executive producer: ITVS
Steve James	....	producer
Alex Kotlowitz	....	producer
Teddy Leifer	....	executive producer
Justine Nagan	....	executive producer
Zak Piper	....	co-producer
Gordon Quinn	....	executive producer
Michael Sullivan	....	executive producer: Frontline, special projects (as Mike Sullivan)
Paul Taylor	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joshua Abrams

Cinematography by
Steve James

Film Editing by
Steve James
Aaron Wickenden

Production Management
Aaron Wickenden	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard O'Connell	....	director of production: ITVS

Art Department
Damon Locks	....	poster designer
Sheila Sachs	....	typesetting: poster
Dan Sharkey	....	graphic designer
Matt Sharkey	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Steven Aguilar	....	audio post assistant
Alex Kotlowitz	....	additional sound recordist
John Mathie	....	additional sound recordist
Zak Piper	....	sound recordist
Rich Pooler	....	additional sound recordist
Risé Sanders-Weir	....	audio producer (as Risé Sanders)
Martin Stebbing	....	audio post assistant
Patrick Tillmann	....	additional sound recordist (as Pat Tillman)
Drew Weir	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Damon Hennessey	....	additional camera
Jackson James	....	additional camera
Dana Kupper	....	additional camera
Zak Piper	....	additional camera
Mirko Popadic	....	additional camera assistant: "a" camera
Adam Singer	....	additional camera
Keith Walker	....	additional camera
Aaron Wickenden	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Joe Flanagan	....	producer: Nolo Digital Film
Nora Gully	....	assistant editor
Michael Matusek	....	digital colorist: Nolo Digital Film
Elliot Rudmann	....	assistant: Nolo Digital Film
Elliot Rudmann	....	on-line editor
Boris Seagraves	....	engineer: Nolo Digital Film
Boris Seagraves	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Joshua Abrams	....	music recordist
Joshua Abrams	....	musician: acoustic bass, electric bass, percussion, drums, MPC, piano, Wurltzer, MS20
Jason Adasiewicz	....	musician: marimba, vibes
David Boykin	....	musician: bass clarinet
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Nicole Mitchell	....	musician: flute, alto flute, bass flute
Jeff Parker	....	musician: guitar
Tomeka Reid	....	musician: cello
Neil Strauch	....	music mixer
Neil Strauch	....	music recordist

Other crew
Yvonne Afable	....	bookkeeper: Kartemquin
Claire Aguilar	....	vice president of programming: ITVS
Jacinta Banks	....	production staff: Kartemquin Films
Ethan Barnowsky	....	intern: Kartemquin
Jennifer Bjornberg	....	legal council: Kartemquin Films
Jim Bracciale	....	series manager: Frontline
Jessica Bradish	....	intern: Kartemquin
Mia Capodilupo	....	bookkeeper: Kartemquin
Ranjani Chakraborty	....	intern: Kartemquin
Sonya Childress	....	outreach and civic engagement
Kate Donalek	....	intern: Kartemquin
Latoya Flowers	....	intern: Kartemquin
Michael Foley	....	intern: Kartemquin
Nick Fraccaro	....	intern: Kartemquin
Kevin Fullam	....	intern: Kartemquin
Brett Hanover	....	intern: Kartemquin
Emily Hart	....	researcher
Tim Horsburgh	....	communications manager: Kartemquin
Shelly Hubman	....	translator
Dylan James	....	transcriber
Peter Jaszi	....	fair use consultant
Liz Kaar	....	technical consultant
Ian Robertson Kibbe	....	translator (as Ian Kibbe)
John Kostka	....	intern: Kartemquin
Robert Labate	....	legal council: Kartemquin Films
Lauren Makholm	....	translator
Aaron McGrath	....	transcriber
Jim Morrissette	....	technical supervisor
Elizabeth Neufeld	....	production staff: Kartemquin Films
Aubyn Niemi	....	intern: Kartemquin
Lesley Onstott	....	transcriber
Manu Pandey	....	production assistant: RISE Films
Allison Pichert	....	intern: Kartemquin
Brittany Piper	....	transcriber
Joe Riina-Ferrie	....	transcriber
Hannah Rothman	....	intern: Kartemquin
Cate Ryan	....	bookkeeper: Kartemquin
Dinesh Sabu	....	production staff: Kartemquin Films
L. Anton Seals Jr.	....	outreach and civic engagement
Robby Sexton	....	transcriber
Ayesha Siddiqi	....	intern: Kartemquin
Philister Sidigu	....	intern: Kartemquin
Leslie Simmer	....	production staff: Kartemquin Films
John Stack	....	production assistant: RISE Films
Tristan Steinfeld	....	intern: Kartemquin
Anne Stulz	....	publicist
Lisa Sullivan	....	contracts manager: Frontline
Emily Thomas	....	intern: Kartemquin
Stanzi Vaubel	....	intern: Kartemquin
Cassie Wierenga	....	intern: Kartemquin
Adora Wilson-Eye	....	intern: Kartemquin
Shuling Yong	....	intern: Kartemquin
David Magdael	....	publicist (uncredited)

Thanks
Claire Aguilar	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Kartemquin Films
• Rise Films

Distributors

• Cinema Guild, The (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2011) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Dizzy Giant  titles and graphics facility
• Holland & Knight  legal council: Kartemquin Films (as Holland + Knight)
• Nolo Digital Film  high definition finish
• Olswang  legal council: RISE Films
• Vagabond Audio  audio post-production

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Kartemquin Films

Trivia:

The film is Steve James' sixth feature length collaboration with his long-time filmmaking home, the non-profit Chicago production studio Kartemquin Films, and is also his fifth feature to screen at the Sundance Film Festival.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.12" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Don't Give Up On Me

Chicago at War

Only 9 reviews?!! This movie needs to be seen!

I live in Chicago, and every morning the Chicago Tribune has a headline tallying the overnight wounded and dead. It's not at all unlike the beginning days of the Gulf War, where every news hour would begin with the number of soldiers killed that day. The difference being that those stories gradually subsided as the numbers dwindled, and they were based on deaths in an actual military conflict. There are neighborhoods in Chicago that are as much like war zones as any area of Afghanistan, but no one is paying attention.

"The Interrupters" doesn't really try to address why no one is paying attention. It doesn't need to, because everyone pretty much knows the answer even if they're not willing to admit it to themselves. These aren't rural white kids getting killed for their country; these are poor, disenfranchised black kids who most people don't care about. Instead, this documentary follows a few members of CeaseFire, a nonprofit group comprised of past gang members, street criminals, etc. who are now using a tactic of intervention to stop chains of violence before they spiral out of control. These people are deeply admirable. They're not trying to break up gangs, they're not police informers. They're simply trying to make one person understand how pointless it is to shoot another person, no matter what grievances are at play.

This film is by Steve James, the same director who did the tremendous "Hoop Dreams," and if it doesn't have that film's epic scope, it has a more immediate sense of urgency.

After watching "The Interrupters" my wife and I were instantly online looking into ways to support CeaseFire. I hope others do the same.

Grade: A+