In an age where even the smallest infraction can become a capital offense, driving a couple of blocks can seem like The Hunger Games for a Black person.
Dominique Purdy uses his uses his experience of growing up as a Black man in LA navigating the police to tell this dark, comedic tale.
Driving While Black is a multi-award winning film, and its input from the local Sheriff’s Department provides an authentic experience.
Synopsis:
Dmitri is a pizza guy who would rather smoke weed and suffer for his art, but his mom and his girl won’t stop nagging him to get a real job. When he’s offered a gig mouthing off to tourists behind the wheel of a Hollywood “star tour” bus, it looks like everyone might get what they want. Trouble is, our man can’t seem to step out the door to get to the interview without endless complications: busted radiators, simple weed scores gone sideways and LAPD cruisers seemingly everywhere. Dmitri’s skill at going unnoticed by cops is honed by painful experiences growing up Black in L.A., but even his keen survival instincts won’t save him from the week from hell.
Driving While Black premieres in theaters February 28, 2018.
