“Whose Streets?” film screening and discussion with director Sabaah Folayan

Celebrate Black History Month at the Chicago Justice Gallery with a series of free film screenings that correspond with themes from our current exhibition, "Echoes of Ferguson," including abolition, place-making, unrest, and liberation.

This special screening of Whose Streets? will be accompanied by a discussion with director Sabaah Folayan and co-producer and cinematographer Chris Renteria.

WHOSE STREETS? offers an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising, told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice. From the filmmakers: "When unarmed teenager Michael Brown is killed by police and left lying in the street for hours, it marks a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis, Missouri. Grief, long-standing racial tensions and renewed anger bring residents together to hold vigil and protest this latest tragedy. Empowered parents, artists, and teachers from around the country come together as freedom fighters. As the National Guard descends on Ferguson with military grade weaponry, these young community members become the torchbearers of a new resistance."

Sabaah Folayan is a transdisciplinary artist who uses film, writing, and visual media to create opportunities for healing in the face of structural and intimate violence. She made her directorial debut at the Sundance film festival, with the feature length documentary Whose Streets?, co-directed by Damon Davis. The film was supported by Ford, MacArthur and other foundations, and nominated for Peabody, Critic’s Choice, Gotham and NAACP Image awards, as well as festival honors worldwide.

Sabaah's other work includes writing the series finale of HBO’s betty, a critically acclaimed comedy series about a crew of young female skateboarders in NYC. Her second feature documentary Look at Me: XXXTENTACION premiered at SXSW 2022 and is now streaming on Hulu. Her third feature documentary, RATIFIED, co-directed by Deborah Riley Draper, premiered at the BronzeLens Film Festival in 2024. In addition to her directorial work, from 2022-2023, Sabaah acted as the Interim director of the Firelight Media documentary lab, where she mentored BIPOC directors making their 1st or 2nd feature documentary. Sabaah is a 2022 Pew fellow and a 2023 Chicken & Egg Breakthrough awardee.

Space is limited, so RSVP today!

Be sure to check out our other scheduled screenings by clicking the links below:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13: Double feature screening of Residue and Arkee at the Chicago Justice Gallery
TUESDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 18: Special performance, panel, and screening of One Million Experiments at Student Center East, tower room 605
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20: Screening of The Kinloch Doc at the Chicago Justice Gallery
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27: Screening of Beneath the Surface with a special program TBA at the Chicago Justice Gallery