“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible“:- Maya Angelou. The world in its current state of affairs has become a place where even the most civilized and educated people turn out to sheer hypocrites when it comes to the prejudices that they follow in day-to-day life. It has become increasingly important to understand that every human was created equal and no matter what the case is, this cannot be changed and should not be changed. Cops and Robbers is a spoken word poetry piece on the controversial murder of Ahmaud Arbery. It is a response by the creators of the whole scenario of racial profiling that is prevalent in our society.
The Concept
The conceptual framework for Cops and Robbers had its intricate details which are visually appealing but extremely difficult to pull off as the whole thing is like a rapid-fire rap but its poetic justice is brilliant. Co-written and performed by Timothy Ware-Hill, Cops and Robbers is like a breath of fresh air with its on-point ambiguity. The short has a raw and rustic nature in delivering the message which creates a sense of seeking justice in the minds of the viewers and the rhythm of the poetry is balanced to equilibrium by Ware-Hill. The short for the first set to be a Nickelodeon project but due to creative differences, it found it’s home on Netflix. The creators have successfully created awareness while asking several questions about the current social situation of the world.
Black Lives Matter
In the wake of recent events which has startled mankind and has shaken it to Its core, the creators of Cops and Robbers show us how even the smallest of efforts matter. Buddha once said, “It’s better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles” and we understand this even better as the short literally shows us what happens to people who are the recipient of the hate garnered in society. Timothy Ware-Hill’s approach is progressive and innovative with the attitude that no matter what happens if you see injustice happening, you try to stop it from happening, which is exactly what the short represents.
The Mutual Understanding of Problems
The short film is a collaborative effort of more the 30 VFX artists, working across different studios, but with the mutual respect and understanding of the events involving Ahmaud Arbery and the subliminal racial discrimination existing in the world, the creators have crafted a piece of work that is innovative and thought-provoking. The executive cast has Jada Pinkett Smith as a producer which shows how people have come together to pool their time and resources for the cause.
It is a well crafted short with a clear message, perfectionism in performance and thought-provoking, with its the culmination of different art styles and incredible audio processing which should be given a proper audience engagement to ensure the propagation of better and ethically correct ideologies.
Cops and Robbers is streaming on Netflix.
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