"That Kid" Screening with Filmmaker Ashley Dawson

On Wednesday, January 14 at 6 p.m. in Room 2, the Friends of the Englewood Library present a special event.

Director Ashley Dawson presents That Kid, her debut fictional film.

That Kid tells the story of a young, gifted Black boy from Nyack Plaza named James. All of his elders do their darndest to help him prepare for life in a system that is predicated on his exploitation rather than designed for his success. This is a story of love intended to encourage anyone who knows what it feels like to grow up on the margins of society.

In the cinema verité tradition of Battle of Algiers, Ashley Dawson manages to show what life is like with fictional storytelling in a real environment.

After the film, stay for a discussion with filmmaker Ashley Dawson and Brooklyn Demme of Truth 2 Power.

Truth 2 Power is a film initiative co-founded by Ashley Dawson (writer/director) and Brooklyn Demme (producer/director) in 2020, focusing on community education through film, exploring Black history, social issues (like gifted Black students' challenges), and mental health, collaborating with groups like the Lenape & Cherokee Indians on projects like Dawson's film That Kid and Demme's Mountain Lion: Healing Film of St. Francis, bringing powerful stories to the screen.