As nationwide protests continue in response to the killing of George Floyd, iconic filmmaker Spike Lee has released a new short film that speaks to ongoing racial tensions and the brutality of white supremacy in America. Lee edited together footage from his acclaimed film Do The Right Thing with actual footage from the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd to create an impactful short titled 3 Brothers – Radio Raheem, Eric Garner, and George Floyd. The short includes the scene from Lee’s 1989 classic in which Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) is violently murdered by white cops. Lee expertly draws parallels between this fictitious (but all too real) killing and the violent deaths of both Garner (killed in 2014) and Floyd (killed on May 25).
Lee premiered 3 Brothers on CNN, where he discussed the response to Floyd’s killing with host Don Lemon:
How can people not understand why people are acting the way they are? This is not new, we saw with the riots in the ’60s, the assassination of Dr. King, every time something jumps off and we don’t get our justice, people are reacting they way they do to be heard. We are seeing this again and again and again. This is the thing: the killing of black bodies, that is what this country is built upon.
In addition to 3 Brothers, Lee is preparing to release his latest feature, Da 5 Bloods, on Netflix this month.
Looking for ways to advocate for black lives? Check out this list of resources by our sister site Lifehacker for ways to get involved