- Welcome to POV .
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Far too often in the news, we hear about
the murder of a black man at the hands of police.
But tonight's film. Unapologetic,
puts the focus on the murder of black women.
More specifically, on Rekia Boyd--
a black woman shot and killed by an off-duty Chicago police officer
who was trying to buy drugs.
Unapologetic takes a deep look
into the Movement for Black Lives
through the eyes of Janaé and Bella,
two black millennial women enraged that in Chicago,
black residents are far too often victims of state violence.
The young, charismatic activists
are presented in all too human light
as they deal with issues in their personal lives,
but are resolute when they take to the streets to protest--
oftentimes, standing toe-to-toe with the police or politicians.
They also put their spotlight
on the policies and actions of then-Mayor Rahm Emmanuel,
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez,
and Police Chief Garry McCarthy.
Unapologetic is directed by Chicago-based Ashley O'Shay,
who prefers to tell the stories of marginalized voices.
She also pulls no punches as her directorial lens
speaks through her two tenacious actors.
The director makes good use of a handheld camera
to evoke immediacy and intimacy throughout the film.
O'Shay is an accomplished producer of ad spots
for many national brands.
Her work has also been featured
in the highly regarded Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.
But she is most excited to be telling the stories
of her engaging activists
in her first feature-length documentary.
O'Shay says one of the most rewarding pieces of the process
was seeing how invested audiences became--
not only in the events on screen, but in Janaé and Bella,
who proved to be perfect access characters.
As a filmmaker, O'Shay is as fearless, bold, and passionate
as her leading ladies.
No need to apologize for that.
Unapologetic starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
Your home for independent film.