The winter of 2013 was a harsh one in Indianapolis. The city experienced record-breaking temperatures complete with school closures, mountains of snow and deathly arctic chills.
As the Fahrenheit levels continued to drop however, the homicide rate rose. During the weekend of Dec. 29, 2013, three people were killed within hours of one another, pushing the city’s murder rate to the highest it’s been in seven years. The total number of slayings in Indianapolis for 2013 topped even that of Chicago.
Indianapolis native turned Los Angeles resident Tommy Harris, better known as Tommy Smalls, along with producers Taneesha Johnson and James Carey decided to use their skills to make an impact. The crew formed a production team and the result of their union is the highly-anticipated documentary film “Naptown, The Coldest Winter.” The film, which is narrated by comedian and actor Mike Epps, an Indianapolis native, is set to be released in July.
“We set out to find the disconnect in communication between the older generation and the hip-hop generation,” said director Harris in a statement promoting the release of the film’s official trailer.
Johnson, the film’s producer, said the film started as a vision for change. “We noticed a lot of crime going on during the winter and wanted to bring awareness to it,” said Johnson. “The vision was to come up with a solution. That is our call to action throughout the whole documentary – we wanted to show the good, bad, and the ugly.”
“I hope this film shows the truth,” adds Carey. “No sugar coating the reality of the last days we are living in. I have talked to these young people and older people and what I realized about all of them is that they want to live peacefully and love each other, but the realization is that it’s a ‘dog eat dog world,’ a ‘me, myself, and I generation’ … if I had the answer we wouldn’t need the documentary, but if enough people see it we can come up with answers to get going in the right direction.”
The film’s interviews, which took place over a rigorous three week time-frame, feature candid conversations with community leaders such as Mayor Greg Ballard, Indianapolis Police Chief Rick Hite, and Congressman André Carson as well as families who have been impacted by the wave of violence.
Johnson said that she experienced quite a few emotionally taxing moments throughout the filming process. She recalled having tears stream down her face while listening to stories from mothers who had lost their children. One story in particular involved a young man, who after attempting to break up a fight outside a club, was struck in the head by a stray bullet from someone who shot directly into the air after the dissolved physical altercation.
“They’re so hurt, and some of them feel like they haven’t had justice,” Johnson said of the families. “And it’s sad, it’s really sad. You can tell that there’s a lot of hurt, pain and regret there. It was hard to hear.”
Beyond the pain, Johnson said the film spent time highlighting great moments in Indy with the Tech High School basketball team as well as a community day held by the Police Athletic League Club (PAL).
The PAL connection has since spawned a partnership between participating community centers and the film’s producers that will include youth programs based on providing creative outlets via performing arts programs.
The message of “The Coldest Winter” goes beyond film with an accompanying soundtrack, which was produced by Carey. It features R&B star Raheem Devaughn as well as local musicians.
“Music is a way of the messenger and everyone can relate to music,” said Carey. “We decided to have artists of different genres who are also living day to day in this city dealing with its ups downs and struggles who demonstrate that through all of this they still have a dream.”
Currently, the film’s producers hope to make the trailer a viral sensation and spread the word all over about what it is they’re hoping to accomplish. Their plans are for “The Coldest Winter” to be the first in a series of films documenting the story of Indianapolis. They are seeking participation from local volunteers to assist in filming future projects as well as participating in the upcoming youth programs.
Johnson said she believes one key solution to restoring the community lies in simply speaking to one another about what’s going on. “We have to communicate and get involved,” she said.
To get involved or find out more information email the filmmakers at Indycoldestwinter@gmail.com or call (317) 628-4614.
