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Tulia, Texas (documentary)
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the AFI Dallas International Film Festival)
Directors: Cassandra Herrman and Kelly Whalen
Starring: Freddie Brookins Sr., Larry Stewart, Tom Coleman, Freddie Brookins Jr., Jeff Blackburn Herrman and Whalen do a great job of telling a simply complex story about... well... it is either about a small, quiet Texan town that got "sick of the dope dealers" and that wanted to send a message to the black community blamed for the dealing OR it's the story about how justice gets corrupted when people with localized power need money.
As is indicative of smart filmmaking in general, Herrman and Whalen's documentary focuses on a few characters whose story paints a nationally familiar, and globally relevant, picture. Tulia is indicative of the communities of the world that haven't changed, where, despite "integration," the black community still lives on the "wrong" side of the tracks, where it is blamed for many problems that spill over the railway lines. |
The tale of Tulia, Texas reached national headlines momentarily following a series of events initiated by the local police department's hiring of undercover officer Tom Coleman. Under the alias "TJ Dawson," Coleman played the part of a hard-partying, bike-riding cokehead, who generated leads that led to the police round-up of 46 folks, 39 of whom were black. While those who accepted pleas from the prosecution received reduced sentences, any and all who fought the charges (including many with no priors) received terms ranging from 20 years to the 99-year maximum that may have signaled the end of the road.
While their tales might have reached their conclusions behind closed doors, these victims found their hero in an attorney willing to review the cases, Jeff Blackburn. Blackburn found anomalies in Coleman's notes that had been covered up by the prosecution, noticed the lack of any proper defenses waged by appointed counsel, found unrealistic patterns in Coleman's evidence, and found too many other wrongs for these convictions to be right. So he did what any American attorney would do - he went to the popular media to publicize his plea.
Tulia is a journalistic endeavor delivering interesting insight with integrity. While the film does not utilize the power of the cinematic sleight of hand of animation or other fun graphics often found in today's documentary filmmaking, it is shot with an honest straightforwardness that packs a punch. The news in this film is not all good, and the filmmakers are smart enough to celebrate their small victories while maintaining a tone of doubt for the future. As the saying goes, there are battles and there are wars... and Tulia's justice league may have won only one. But, with another documentary having circled the festival circuit on this topic (Tulia, Texas: Scenes from the Drug War) and a narrative feature from John Singleton on the horizon (with Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry seemingly attached), the war may yet be waged in earnest. For tickets and screening times, check in with the official sites of the festival and the film:
http://www.afidallas.com/
http://www.tuliatexasfilm.com/
Photo credit: Ryan Anson
Photos courtesy of http://www.tuliatexasfilm.com/. |
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