DC4REEL

Life After the Gunshot

JOSEPH RICHARDSON, CHE BULLOCK
USA, 2021
99 minutes, Color
Official website

In the United States, 100,000 people are shot annually. The threat is particularly pronounced in poor urban communities. To halt the cycle of escalating violence, university professor Dr. Joseph Richardson launched a unique hospital-based, multi-year project in the Washington, D.C. area to deeply engage with those who are rarely heard—young Black men who have endured and survived these assaults. Dr. Richardson teamed up with violence intervention worker Che Bullock, himself a survivor of an attack. (Warning: The film shows frightening security footage of actual shootings and gun battles.) Life After the Gunshot follows 10 men who share their past experiences, reveal their physical and emotional scars, and describe their desire for a different life. Unfortunately, 45% of the young men who are shot or stabbed return to the hospital with similar injuries. Using a trauma-informed approach, this project and film strive to change that reality.—Cornelius Moore