Island
Father Mike Ivers, a white priest at St. Agatha's church, takes us on an eye-opening "tour" of an urban Chicago neighborhood where he "walks the streets" trying to keep the faith and some semblance of sanity. Former home to both Golda Meir and Martin Luther King, this urban neighborhood is now a battlefield of gang violence -- an "island" of despair drifting farther and farther from mainland society, according to many of its residents interviewed in this earnest documentary. Handsomely shot in black and white, ISLAND presents testimonies from a wide spectrum of the community, with commentary on issues of racism, gang violence and spirituality. One woman shares the tragic fates of her own three children lost to crime, gunshot and drugs; another mother speaks of her young children's exposure every summer to the deaths of their classmates from drive-by shootings, and her subsequent founding of S.A.F.E., an organization designed to protect them. Imbued with empathy and a no-nonsense demeanor, Father Mike is clearly a highly respected member of the community. Practicing a somewhat unorthodox method of church leadership, he embarks on a never-ending battle to break down stereotypes and serve as an ambassador of sorts for the entire community. Ultimately, ISLAND illustrates one man's passionate quest to restore faith and dignity to just one of the many struggling urban communities in this country.