‘Emergency’ Is A Striking Commentary On Racial Dynamics, Humanity, and Brotherhood

For many people, there is never a more invigorating time in life than those final months of college before being thrust into the “real world.” The uncertainty ahead leads many of us to cling to those last joyous weeks with friends in a setting that has turned into something of a home. In Carey Williams’ outstanding Emergency, adapted from his short film of the same name, best friends and roommates Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins) and Sean (RJ Cyler) are about to embark on an epic night touring the school’s frat parties with hopes of making it into the Black Student Union’s Hall of Fame. However, what appears to be a comedy about Black men in their final weeks at their predominantly white college becomes a gripping commentary on racism and humanity.  

Kunle and Sean could not be more different. A science nerd who spends his days in a biology lab, Kunle is the son of African immigrants with plans to head to Princeton University to earn his Ph.D. In contrast, the care-free perpetually high Sean has no concerns or objectives for the future. Instead, he’s focused on partying and rekindling things with his crush. 

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Sundance's ‘Master’ Grapples With The Terror Of Othering

Belonging. We all have an emotional need to feel accepted and embraced by others. If we’re lucky, that sense of allyship begins in the comfort of our homes surrounded by loved ones. However, finding it outside of those spaces, particularly in predominantly white institutions (PWI), can be a daunting task often confounded with feelings of isolation and even terror. 

In her feature film debut Master, filmmaker Mariama Diallo grapples with the psychological effects of racial terror and the pitfalls of ignoring the lessons of history. Set at a New England-based Ivy League University, Master centers on Gail Bishop (Regina Hall). She is the sole tenured Black professor who has been newly elected as a “Master,” or a dean of students — the first Black person in the university’s history to hold such a role. 

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