Memphis Blues
2024, 5 mins
Sean G. Phillips (seangarrison), a Minneapolis-based artist, responds to the news of another Black man's murder through poetry and painting.
Director's Statement
In the years following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, I’ve thought a lot about my role, and the roles of other artists in society, to impact social change through our work. It is a topic that Sean G. Phillips, the artist featured in Memphis Blues, and I have discussed since first connecting on Art & Healing, a community oriented art and documentary project commissioned by Broadway Family Medicine in 2021.
“Give it two years”, Sean said referring to George Floyd during one of our early meetings over coffee, “People will forget.” Social and political movements are exciting in the beginning, but what happens when the initial inspiration wanes? What happens when the plywood boards protecting businesses are hauled away and the rubble is cleared? Who will remember? It wasn’t long before more Black people died at the hands of police again and again across the U.S., but without nearly as much public outcry. If the upheaval surrounding George Floyd was so easily forgotten, what about all the others? Are they any less important? Responding to these questions, Sean began to develop art aimed at confronting society's amnesia regarding the murder of Black men. He shoulders the emotional burden and transforms it into art in an attempt to remember and to remind others that the mission isn’t over once the story has left the news.
I believe Sean’s work is important. However, he struggles, like many artists, to get his message out beyond a close group of friends and family. When Tyre Nichols was killed by police in Memphis, Sean posted a powerful video poem on Instagram in response. He suggested in his post that an artwork would soon follow. Similar to the killings, I didn’t want Sean’s work to fade into the oblivion of social media. I proposed the idea of a documentary with the potential to reach more people and have a longer life, thus having an impact. The resulting film, Memphis Blues, is my way of supporting a fellow artist who is waging an unpopular, yet crucial fight against ongoing inequality in our country.
Upcoming Screenings
October 12, 2024 at 7pm - Midwest Video Poetry Fest. Madison, WI. Location: Art Lit Lab 111 S Livingston St #100, Madison, WI 53703
Past Screenings
2024 Square Lake Film Festival. Stillwater, MN.
2024 Maryland Film Festival. Baltimore, MD.
2024 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Minneapolis, MN.