Episode 001_ Two Distant Strangers

The podcast discusses the film "Two Distant Strangers" by Trayvon Free, which is inspired by "Groundhog Day" and depicts the repeated fatal encounters between a black man named James and the police. The film uses symbolism, such as a white bike memorial, to highlight the injustices faced by black Americans. James tries different strategies to avoid his death, but each encounter ends with him being shot by a police officer named Merck. The film highlights the systemic racism and violence faced by black people in the United States. You're listening to the Q Podcast, where we review compelling protagonists in film. I'm your host, Kiana Canada, and today I have for you Carter James from Trayvon Free's short, Two Distant Strangers. This film takes place in the fast-moving city of New York and is inspired by Cynthia Cowell's Groundhog Day for a Black Man. It's where the protagonist reenacts several high-profile fatal encounters that Black Americans have had with law enforcement in the United States. There's a lot of symbology in this film, but one in particular is a memorial of a white bike, which symbolizes the white cycle, or ghost bike, which is often placed in places where the driver of a motor vehicle has ended a cyclist's life. This white cycle pays homage to Dijon Pizzi, who Los Angeles Sheriff stopped and fatally shot while riding his bicycle in 2020. Now, we come to James' first encounter with law enforcement. James decks out of Harry's apartment, a girl who he adores and wishes to start a relationship with. As James makes an effort to get home, he collides with a white man who is wearing a white shirt and blue stripes. The collision causes the white man to spill coffee and James to drop a wad of cash. Historically, the color white has symbolized innocence. The color blue has symbolized trust and truth. The incident catches the attention of a white police officer named Merck, who accuses James of smoking something other than a cigarette. James refers to Merck by his name, but when he does, Merck commands him to call and serve. Although James complies, Merck snatches James and pins him against the wall. A white woman is recording the police brutality and she's screaming, he didn't do anything, he didn't do anything, which depicts allied voices, especially female voices, that carries no weight in a white patriarchal society. We see Merck throw James against the wall and to the ground and places him in a toll pool. Although James pleads several times over, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, Merck continues to choke him. This scene observes the death of Eric Garner, who New York police officers placed in a toll pool in 2014. We now come to James' second encounter with New York police. And in this encounter, James doesn't drop a wad of cash nor does he collide with a white male. Nonetheless, Merck still approaches him and demands to conduct an illegal search of his contents or his bag. James does not consent, stating, I know my rights. But this self-preservation angers Merck, who then retaliates by throwing James to the ground. Merck then yells, don't resist, comply, let go of your gun, or let go of my gun. As we know, American police officers often yell these commands during fatal encounters to justify their misconduct against Black Americans, even when Blacks have been plied, are not resisting, and have not repped for a weapon. In this scenario, James is shot several times. This scene observes the death of Asel Ford, a 25-year-old Black male who LAPD officers shot several times on August 2014. We come to James' third encounter with New York police. James continues to have dreams where Merck kills him, a frightening harbinger and a glimpse at a short-lived future in New York. These premonitions induces James to take a different course of action, to stay alive. For example, James elects not to leave the apartment, hoping this will stop the manifestation of his death. And at first blush, all seems to go well. However, James and Perry get an unexpected knock on the door. They hear banging, and it's New York police who aggressively command, open up. In what seems like a second, New York police is inside the apartment pointing guns in their direction. James jolts awake after being shot several times by Merck. However, he just discovers, okay, this was a nightmare. This scene observes the death of Mira Locke, who Minneapolis police killed during a no-knock warrant search. During the fourth encounter, we encounter James tries to escape death. And he has to take a different course of action. This time, James does not wear a jacket outside, but he still encounters Merck. Regardless of the direction James decides to go, whether it's left or right, his premonitions are the same. Merck shoots him. Now we come to James' fifth encounter. James tries a different strategy. For example, James decides, why not I just, perhaps I'll just be cordial. But this strategy fails as Merck orders James to display identification and to keep his hands where Merck can see them. And then we hear them both say, that's a lot of money for a guy with an oxo cigarette-smelling cigarette. And it is here that both James and Merck realize that they are stuck in a time lapse, and that this cycle has continued itself. And Merck asks James a very important question, if I shoot you, will this cycle continue? To which James replies, yes, yes it will. James survives this encounter because we see that he proceeds to walk down an alley. But then two teams, black teams run past him, and New York police automatically assume that James is affiliated with them. For example, New York police demand to know, where did your friends go? Which frightens James to the point that he wakes up from what seems like another nightmare. In James' sixth encounter with New York police, James converses with Merck, where he discloses that Merck has shot him 99 times. It appears that Merck is sympathetic and asks, well what do you want from me? James asks Merck, well why don't you just drive me home, just give me a ride home. However, there is something significant about the license plate on Merck's police car. It has 1488, and this symbolizes hate. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the first symbol, 14, which is shorthand for 14 words, is a slogan, which often reads, we must secure the existence of our people and keep the right children. And then the second is 88, which stands for Heil Hitler. Although Merck does agree to give James a ride home, Merck places James in the back of his police vehicle. This placing in the back of the police vehicle illustrates how law enforcement's perception in the United States that blackness equals criminality. Indeed, James finds it odd that he must ride in the back of Merck's police car. But James decides to have some conversation with Merck. To get to know him, he inquires, why did you become a cop? To which Merck claims that people lost the respect for the rule of law and lost respect for order. And James laughs, and he doesn't believe him. He's like, no, tell me the real reason why. And they dive deeply into being a product of one's environment. And it is here that we learn that Merck, when he was younger, he was bullied. In this scene, we see another important symbology, which is the decal on the police cruiser. It reads, Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect. This is a signpost of how relations between law enforcement and black Americans should and could be. While James believes that he has rich common ground with Merck, he is condescended to in this encounter. For example, Merck is clapping his hands several times, and he's saying, bravo, bravo. And at this point, James realizes, well, maybe I didn't reach common ground. Maybe I didn't get to him. Maybe we didn't come to an understanding. And sure enough, Merck reaches for his gun, and he shoots James in the back. This scene reveals, no matter how polite black Americans are with police in the United States, they still risk losing their lives in some of the most mundane encounters. It also shows the shooting of Walter Lamar Scott, a 50-year-old black man who South Carolina police officers shot in the back. In the ending of this movie, this great film, we see that James is lying in a puddle of blood that is shaped like the continent of Africa. This illustrates the genocide of African descendants in the United States. In the end, James awakens for the 100th time. And undeterred, James leaves Perry's apartment and tries to make another effort in getting home. If you enjoyed Jayvon Free's Students and Strangers Explained on this podcast, please share, comment, and subscribe. Thank you.