Catching Bullets
Documentary Feature | Saint Louis, MO. USA BLOCK 12 - CATCHING BULLETS | 5:25 pm - 6:50 pm Lil Carver CCC
Directed by: Ben Scholle
Description: A generation ago, Darren sold dope. Behind a gun and a bullet-proof vest, he once made a name for himself in Walnut Park, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in St. Louis, a city itself haunted by a perennially high murder rate. Now in his 50s and marked with the scars of 13 bullets, Darren buys a condemned church building in his old neighborhood and channels his energy into establishing a youth mentoring center, dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence he once perpetuated. When Preston, the 18-year-old son of Darren's late friend, is tempted by the allure of street-level drug dealing, Darren pledges to save Preston from winding up in a jail cell or worse.
Directed by: Ben Scholle
Description: A generation ago, Darren sold dope. Behind a gun and a bullet-proof vest, he once made a name for himself in Walnut Park, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in St. Louis, a city itself haunted by a perennially high murder rate. Now in his 50s and marked with the scars of 13 bullets, Darren buys a condemned church building in his old neighborhood and channels his energy into establishing a youth mentoring center, dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence he once perpetuated. When Preston, the 18-year-old son of Darren's late friend, is tempted by the allure of street-level drug dealing, Darren pledges to save Preston from winding up in a jail cell or worse.
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Filmmaker Bio:
Ben ScholleDirector Ben Scholle completed his first feature documentary in 2005. HairKuTT followed a barber struggling to kick his heroin addiction. It was selected for MoMA's Documentary Fortnight and aired on BET and the Documentary Channel. It also played theatrically in Indianapolis and Boston and screened in schools and universities nationwide. Scholle's recently completed third feature film, The Worst Crime, examines the story of a capital murder case from 2002, provoking questions about the death penalty and mental illness. The film is distributed in the US by Cineverse. Ben Scholle is a senior professor of cinema at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO.
Producer Derrick Phillips is a filmmaker and activist based in the St. Louis area. He earned a BA in Cinema Arts from Lindenwood University in 2011. He covered the Ferguson protests extensively, beginning in 2014, and he has created relationships with protesters, community organizers, activists, and politicians. In 2020, on the eve of the pandemic, he partnered with Ben Scholle to document anti-gun violence efforts in the city of St. Louis. |
