Director Dwayne LeBlanc’s short film Civic opens in a dark setting, with nothing visible but the blur of streetlights. The scene clears only when approaching a road sign, just clear enough to read, like a recently-recovered memory: “Los Angeles.”
Booker (Barrington Darius) drives around South Central LA, having just returned home after a few years away. The entirety of the short is filmed from the inside of his car, where he interacts with people from his past. He’s here to search for himself–as he states to old friend Harmonie (Courtney Gabrielle Williams)–even as he’s still trying to run away.
The setting of the car confines Booker, holding him in place and only allowing him to interact with a few people (an old basketball friend or Dominican family member)–a part of his identity–at a time. This, even as it also demonstrates the fluid nature of Booker’s identity: a setting that exists in past and present with Booker, both vehicle and person moving and changing even as they at heart remain the same.
The resulting story, at only 20 minutes long, is an affecting display of the reckoning of memory and nostalgia with reality, and the wrestling of who you are in a place where you once felt like someone else. The short film leaves us, and Booker, a compelling message about identity and community. Beautifully shot and poignantly acted, Civic cements Dwayne LeBlanc as a director to watch. Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice.
What kind of film series would this short film fit in?
Civic would be an excellent addition to a short film series, especially one spotlighting other creatives and shorts from Ghetto Film School.
What subjects or college majors would benefit from the content covered in this short film?
Dwayne LeBlanc’s short would be a beneficial watch for film majors seeking to learn what makes a compelling short film, or seeking to explore themes of the relationship between setting and identity.
What type of library programming could use this title?
Library programs seeking to encourage Black creators, in addition to education programs seeking to teach film, should consider utilizing Civic.