BLINDSPOTTING

Director: Carlos López Estrada

2018, 95, R

Screenwriter: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs

Cast: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Ethan Embry.

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Oakland CA is a laboratory of politics, race, art, and class, with a vibe like no other. The brainchild of two hip-hop artists is inspired by – and shot on location in – this city pulsing with both life and danger. Daveed Diggs, who won a Tony Award as Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton and Rafael Casal, a spoken word poet, play two friends; one black (Collin), one white (Miles), who work for a moving company. Collin, who is laying low during his last three days of parole, witnesses a cold-blooded police shooting. The tension over doing the right thing is ratcheted up by the growing conflict between the two friends, which explodes into a confrontation done entirely in verse. One other performance deserving kudos is by another Hamilton alum: Jasmine Cephas Jones, as the fierce protector of Miles’ young son.
“All art is inherently political. You are either holding or challenging the status quo.” – Rafael Casal.
“Masterful…a wake-up call.” – Monique Judge, The Grapevine.com