PURPLE REELS THE GOGETTER: Eddy Duran of Duran Films

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Eddy Duran of Duran Films

While viewing some films at the Short Film Corner in Cannes, France I came upon a film called "The Lesson Plan." It is provocative and informing for our people and our generation. The film is arranged as a lesson plan that shadows the lives of black individuals as they go through their daily lives. In each scene in the beginning the character is broken down. If you haven't read Willie Lynch The Making of a Slave I think it is time that you take a look. The thing that I like about the film "The Lesson Plan" is the way that Eddy Duran captures the way we were affected by this phenomenon. For instance:

"special and particular attention must be paid to the FEMALE and the YOUNGEST offspring" "YOU MUST KEEP YOUR EYE AND THOUGHTS ON THE FEMALE and the OFFSPRING of the horse and the n-word. A brief discourse in offspring development will shed light on the key to sound economic principles. Pay little attention to the generation of original breaking, but CONCENTRATE ON FUTURE GENERATION."

The interesting part comes here when the breaking of the African Woman is discussed

"By her being left alone, unprotected, with the MALE IMAGE DESTROYED, the ordeal caused her to move from her psychological dependent state to a frozen independent state. In this frozen psychological state of independence, she will raise her MALE and female offspring in reversed roles. For FEAR of the young males life she will psychologically train him to be MENTALLY WEAK and DEPENDENT, but PHYSICALLY STRONG. Because she has become psychologically independent, she will train her FEMALE off springs to be psychological independent. What have you got? You've got the N-WORD WOMAN OUT FRONT AND THE N-WORD MAN BEHIND AND SCARED."
These quotes are all taken from The Talking Drum

Anyway the film "The Lesson Plan" is depicted in such a way that it captures the very essence of our struggle today... for even after all of these years we are still affected. I like the scene with the teacher and the student... he puts a gun to the kid's head and forces him to pay attention. Eddy Duran of Duran Films is someone to be on the look out for. Duran Films where content is king.

Another film maker that I had the pleasure of meeting has a short film called "Marcus" which is about a single mother who cannot get over the death of her son. I liked this film because of the way the script was set up. I've seen it done before but the content made me pay attention. The film maker's name is Olu. He is from Nigeria but has been living in London for a while now. The UK has a wealth of excellence in film and I am gaining more respect for them each day that I learn more and more.