Our Oscar Campaign: St. Louis Superman
Our Oscar Campaign: St. Louis Superman Fiona Lawson-Baker | EP of Documentaries, Al Jazeera English Hollywood, Los Angeles, February 9, 2020. The
Smriti read about Bruce in a newspaper article. But gaining access was not easy. He had been approached by filmmakers ‘parachuting in’ when he was a prominent Ferguson activist. He had become very protective of his story and his community. It was only when his legislative aide, Danielle Spradley, realised that Smriti intended to make the documentary for Al Jazeera that doors started to open. We had connected with Smriti after seeing her feature observational documentary ‘A Suitable Marriage’. I suggested that Poh, based in our DC office, reach out to Smriti to make a film for Witness. Smriti told us later that it was a dream come true. We were looking for stories that spoke on a profound level to both Smriti and co-director, Sami. While filming, Smriti and Sami built an enduring trust and bond with Bruce that was visceral on screen. Sami lived with Bruce, during which time he filmed the extraordinarily intimate and powerful opening scene of Bruce speaking with his four- year-old son, King, on their front steps. King’s birthday was August 9. Bruce whispered to his son, “You’re going to learn about August 9th … real soon. Something else happened when you was born.” Michael Brown was killed in a police shooting in Ferguson on August 9, 2014.
Academy Awards. It was a night full of possibility. Al Jazeera’s Witness documentary, St. Louis Superman, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary Subject. Amidst one of the world’s most celebrated events was Bruce Franks Jr., the star of our documentary. Alongside him on the red carpet were directors Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, and Al Jazeera’s very own Poh Si Teng. We were there to represent – the documentary, our communities and in so doing, the spirit of Al Jazeera. Cheering us on was the Al Jazeera Media Network and MTV Documentary Films - in a partnership forged by a shared belief in the power of St. Louis Superman and Bruce himself. Bruce has a gift in bringing people together. A Black rapper and activist, Bruce was inspired to run for political office after 400 days straight on the frontline of the Ferguson protests. Against the odds, he was elected to the overwhelmingly white Missouri state House of Representatives where he campaigned for gun violence to be recognised as a public health epidemic. Remarkably, he was able to convince all sides to back his bill. His constituents called him ‘St. Louis Superman’ because he was a true super hero to them.
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