001a Analysis of Travon Free's Two Distant Strangers

The podcast discusses the film "Two Distant Strangers," which is set in New York and is inspired by the idea of a Black man experiencing a recurring day like in "Groundhog Day." The film explores themes of police brutality and racism. The protagonist, James, encounters a white police officer named Merck in various scenarios, each ending in James's death. Despite trying different strategies, James is unable to escape his fate. The film highlights the unjust treatment of Black Americans by law enforcement and the ongoing struggle for equality. The ending symbolizes the genocide of African descendants in the United States. You're listening to the Q Podcast. I'm your host, Kiana. And today I have for you Carter James from Trayvon Free's short, Two Distant Strangers. This film takes place in the fast moving city of New York, and it is inspired by Cynthia Cowe's Groundhog Day for a Black Man. There is a lot of symbology and memorials in this film, but one in particular is the white sickle or ghost bike, which is often placed where drivers of a motor vehicle have ended a cyclist's life. The white sickle pays homage to Dijon Kizhi, who Los Angeles Sheriff stopped and fatally shot while riding his bicycle in 2020. We come to James's first encounter with New York police. James steps out of Carrie's apartment, a girl who he adores and wishes to start a relationship with, and he collides with a white male who is wearing a white shirt with blue stripes. The collision causes the white male to spill coffee and James to drop a wad of cash. Historically, the color white has symbolized innocence. The color blue has often symbolized trust and truth. This incident captures the attention of a white police officer named Merck, who accuses James of smoking something other than a cigarette. James refers to Merck by his name, but when he does, Merck commands that James calls him sir. Although James complies, Merck snatches him and pins him against the wall. A white woman reports the police brutality incident and screams, he didn't do anything, he didn't do anything, which depicts allied voices, especially female voices that carries no weight in a white patriarchal society. Merck throws James to the ground and places him in a chokehold. And although James pleads, I can't breathe, I can't breathe several times, Merck continues to choke him. This scene observes the death of Eric Garner, who New York police officers placed in a chokehold in 2014. Now we come to James's second encounter and he doesn't drop a wad of cash, nor does he collide with a white male. Nonetheless, Merck still approaches him and demands this time to conduct an illegal search of his bag. But James doesn't consent. He states, I know my rights. And this self-preservation angers Merck, who then retaliates by throwing James to the ground. Merck then yells, don't resist, comply, let go of my gun. Now, traditionally and historically, American police officers often yelled these commands during fatal encounters to justify their misconduct and mistreatment against Black Americans, even when Blacks have complied, are not resisting, and have not retched for a weapon. In this scenario, James is shot several times. This scene observes the death of Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old Black male who LAPD officers shot several times on August 11, 2014. Another important scene is where James, you know, he continues to have these dreams where Merck kills him, a frightening harbinger and a glimpse at a short-lived future in New York. These premonitions induces James to take a different course of action, and that is to stay alive by staying home. And he hopes that by not leaving the apartment, that this will stop the manifestation of his death. And all seems to go well until James and Perry hear a knock on the door. And it's a banging sound where New York police are commanding and aggressively yelling, open up, open up. And what seems like a second New York police are within the apartment, and they're pointing guns at both James and Perry. However, when Merck shoots James several times, James awakens and realizes, you know what, this is just another nightmare. This scene observes the death of Amir Locke, who Minneapolis police killed during a no-knock warrant search. There is a lot of different encounters between this one and the fifth encounter. But in this fifth encounter, James tries a different strategy, and that's just by being cordial to Merck. But this strategy fails as Merck orders James to display identification to keep his hands where he can see them. And then we hear them both say, that's a lot of money for a guy with a not-so-cigarette-smelling cigarette. And James explains to Merck how both of them are stuck in a time-lapse, pointing to the couple who would soon share a kiss, the girl who would take a selfie, and the boy on the skateboard who would soon fall. And Merck then asks James an important question, will this cycle repeat itself if I shoot you? And James replies, yes, yes it will. James seems to survive this encounter. Merck lets him go, and he's walking down the alley. However, a couple of teens runs past him, and they're being chased by New York police officers, and the police are demanding to know where these teens went. For example, they ask James, where did your friends go? And this frightens James to the point that he wakens from a nightmare. In James's sixth encounter with Merck, he converses with him and discloses that Merck has shot him 99 times. It appears Merck is sympathetic and asks, well, what do you want me to do? And James says, well, perhaps you can just drive me home. And when he gets into the car, we see a license plate that reads 1488, which symbolizes hate. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the first symbol is 14, which is shorthand for the 14-word slogan, we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. The second is the 88, which stands for Heil Hitler. And the third is the 88, which stands for Heil Hitler. Although Merck agrees to give James a ride home, Merck places him in the back of the police vehicle. This illustrates how law enforcement's perception of Black people or of Blackness in general is equal to criminality. Indeed, James finds it odd that he must ride in the back of Merck's police car. James then inquires, well, why did you become a cop? To which Merck claims that people lost the respect for the rule of law and that they lost respect for order. But James doesn't believe this answer. He laughs and says, no, no, no, I want to know the real reason. Tell me the real reason why you decided to become a cop. And they dive deeply into being a product of one's environment. And it is here where we learn that Merck was bullied. When James steps out of the car, we see the decal on Merck's police cruiser that reads, Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect. This is a signpost of how relations between law enforcement and Black Americans should and could be. While James believes that he has rich common ground with Merck, he is condescended to by Merck, who claps and says, bravo, bravo, as if James was putting up an act. Merck then reaches for his gun and shoots James in the back. This scene observes the death of Walter Lamar Scott, a 50-year-old Black man who South Carolina police shot in the back. And it also reveals no matter how polite Black Americans are with police, they still risk losing their lives in some of the most mundane encounters. The ending has some strong symbology. And this is where we see James lying dead in a puddle of blood that is shaped like the continent of Africa. And this illustrates the genocide of African descendants in the United States. In the end, James awakens for the 100th time. Undeterred, James leaves Perry's apartment and makes another effort to get home. If you enjoyed these Easter eggs and Trayvon frees short two-distance strangers, please subscribe. Visit my website, kianacanada.com. Follow me on Twitter at Journey to the Center.