The Throwaways

Recent incidents of police mistreatment of black men in America make this documentary by Bhawin Suchak and Ira McKinley a timely one, focusing on McKinley's work as a community activist in Albany, NY. McKinley, whose time in prison made it impossible for him to find work in his chosen field of filmmaking and led to his living on the streets, decided to use his talent with a camera to document life among people like himself, interviewing homeless individuals about the difficulties they face in simply surviving, and recording how these societal “throwaways” are ordinarily dealt with by authorities. The documentary is made up largely of footage that McKinley shot over the years, often while scuffling with officers. All the material seems quite relevant today, but the most timely sequence centers on the reaction to the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Nah-Cream Moore during a routine traffic stop in 2011. McKinley records the press conference during which Chief Steven Krokoff, expressing regret over the incident, was confronted by angry local residents who challenged the official account of the tragedy and saw it as symptomatic of the kind of treatment that they regularly face. “They're killing our kids!” shouts a woman as city officials and some members of the audience struggle to maintain order. Events in Ferguson and Baltimore suggest that things have sadly not changed much. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)