Shot over a period of eight years from 2008-16--the duration of the Obama administration--Quest follows North Philadelphia’s Rainey family, a hardworking African American household living in an impoverished community that has a heavy-handed police presence. In this tightknit neighborhood comprised of relatives and lifelong friends, the Raineys--headed up by Christopher "Quest" Rainey and his wife Christine’a (simply called "Ma")--daily face a strong possibility that a stray bullet from a gang shooting will accidentally kill someone they know. But this isn’t a film about the conditions in which less-fortunate Americans live; nor is it one that objectifies the Raineys or anyone else as victims. Filmmaker Jonathan Olshefski knows that viewers have seen those kinds of stories over and over and feel helpless because nothing changes. Quest does not directly delve into the underlying social issues; instead it captures the life and resilience of the Raineys as they work multiple jobs, help their community, deal with son William’s brain cancer and daughter Patricia’s bullet wound from gunfire a block away. Quest goes beyond the surface of life without ever succumbing to the manipulations of reality television, in the end making us care about some very good people. A phenomenal documentary, this is highly recommended. Editor’s Choice. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Quest
(2017) 105 min. DVD: $24.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 3
Quest
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