The "Interruption" of Lent

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Just as with "disruption", the interruption of violence happens only with the necessary humility from life experience - from the inside-out, from the bottom-up. Each of the interrupters we encounter in the film are revealed to be human beings instead of portrayed heroes. They are heroes of course, but only because their feet are grounded - their hands dirty. Every time we see a confrontation, particularly an interpersonal confrontation between just two or three persons - the interrupter has to deal with the mirror of their old self - as if trying to incessantly save themselves from the violent act that they have already committed. I don't know that it is ever articulated, but it is often written all over their faces.



Steve James is truly the great humanizer of documentary film-making. He is as important to me as any artist or contemplative or activist - due mostly to the fact that he brings each of those elements into each of his films. As we saw overtly with his brilliant film "Stevie", we know how aware he is about his own processes and motivations. He is very sensitive and personal with his subjects - genuinely trying to relate to their experience - and hoping to tell their story in a way that is respectful to them - very much including them as partners in the process of filming, creating the narrative, and telling their stories. He further explains below...

"The key is putting in the time and developing an honest and friendly relationship with your main subjects. They have to enjoy your company. Because if they don’t — who wants to hang out with someone you don’t enjoy being around? Especially for the time we want to be with you and the commitment. It’s important to have a bond; it’s important to have trust; it’s important that they understand what you’re really trying to do trust and feel like you’re always being straight with them and honest about your intentions. It takes time.

There were things we know about Cobe and Ameena and Eddie that we didn’t put in the film either because we didn’t feel it was the audience’s need or right to know everything. We purposely chose to reveal certain details about their pasts and leave others out. I think that’s part of the respect you build with your subjects because we’re not just there to get everything we can get and once you give it to us, that’s it. The way it works the more people trust you and feel some sense of control over what you’re doing and what they’re doing, the more they’re willing to share. It seems paradoxical, but it makes perfect sense. They don’t feel that if they say something to you and have second thoughts you’d say, “Sorry, you said it.”

That happened with all our principle characters. It happened with Tio, who told us stories that he had second thoughts and said, “We hear you.” That doesn’t mean you do everything your subjects want, but that honest exchange is the foundation for that kind of intimacy."

A major "non-issue" of the film is "the system" - with which any film of this subject or nature is ultimately created to criticize. Systemic change is obviously a big piece of the puzzle, but even in the film clip below, we begin to understand that real change regarding violence and poverty happens inter-personally, with eye contact, with empathy, with confrontation - not with social programs and police presence.

"Despite the fact that we may debate until the cows come home — What do we do about poor communities? What do we do about the inner city? What do we do about schools, jobs and lack of opportunity? — which are all important issues, way too important in these communities, [the interrupters] are at least out there trying to make a difference day in and day out. They’re not waiting around to change the world before they try to save people’s lives."

Eye contact. Empathy. Confrontation.


From there, we begin to see the layers peel away...real light begin to shine through...capital "T" truth rise to the surface...


Ultimately, again, we are forced to confront that “it is only transformed people who have the power to transform others.” It is THE common theme we continue to see in dealing with conflict and poverty around the world - that the most effective means of interruption and transformation happens from the inside out. It's true for every individual as it is for every community/city/state/nation. It's true politically and also spiritually. Ameena and Ceasefire represent this theme to the fullest extent.

The most in-depth reason that we have used every modern means to separate ourselves from places of poverty is because it is an all-encompassing mirror of the poverty within. We give ourselves over to thousands of distractions, hoping to desperately avoid the constant disruption of suffering, of reality, of compost. We don't know how to stop violence in our families, in the streets, or in the middle east - because we won't recognize the conflict and violence inside ourselves or within all of nature. Recognition, confession, and lament are the necessary disciplines of the Lenten season.

Be interrupted.


Saint Ameena Matthews

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