HIP HOP OPERA
This film explores the myths that have created the urban assassins who are destroying our communities. Shot from a Guerrilla film maker’s perspective the film incorporates a dramatisation of events leading up to an urban gun outrage with actual footage from real mothers and fathers who have lost loved ones to gun crime.
Taking inspiration from Hip Hop videos, Romeo and Juliet and Fahrenheit 9/11 this film is both informative and dramatic. It presents a morality tale of conflict resolution including instances of where beef (confrontation) can be resolved safely by compromise, respect and human determination.
Interwoven into the plot are 7 pop promos, creating a contemporary hip hop opera which is expressed in the language of its intended audience. While the 5 promo’s are an integral part of the film, they are shot in such a way that they also work as stand alone music videos. Each promo ends with a cliffhanger – making the plot equally clear if you watch all the promos one after another.
The film is punctuated by a recurring image of a Judge's gravel. This serves not only as a dramatic edit point but also to emphasise to the audience the relentless nature of the legal process and the unavoidability of justice.
Creating the Hip Hop Opera
The process of producing this film first started when Urban Concepts decided to incorporate all the performing arts within one campaign. Our commitment to work with the best professionals in conjunction with up and coming talent resulted in us auditioning for five months. We are happy to state that the artists who have taken part in Don’t Trigger Campaign 2007 are some of the finest artists we have ever worked with.
The script was initially written by Raymond Stevenson with inputs from the whole Urban Concepts team. Once the tenth draft had been completed, we then engaged with young people to proof the script.
Producing a film when you are restricted by finance is hard enough, when you have the added the logistics of 130 artists and actors was an operational minefield. However motivated by the past and current tragedies and with the willingness of all the artists to contribute to the cause we managed to complete this large scale project despite the constraints.
The Cast
Omar played by: Brian Temba
Don-E played by: Sanchez Mullings
Cassie played by: Bianca Gerald
Rachel played by: Narran Mclean
Envy Mae played by: Chanelle Campbell
Friends of Rachel played by Preeti Desai and Michelle Liu
Desmond played by: Desmond Amratio
Andy played by: Andrew Spring
Boy played by: Sean Campbell
Youth Worker played by: Kenneth Sunday
Extras include: Yunus Abdullah, Michelle Liu, Mckie Jackson, W. Mclennon, Ricardo Marinoni, Ryan Huie, Peter Hunt, Fiona Nunes.
Photos: Christoper Sims (www.christopersims.com)