THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON
Stuck in a bizarre and devastating time loop, a black, gay teenager is forced to relive a day where, no matter what he tries, he is unarmed and shot by the police.
Tunde Johnson (Steven Silver) is a smart, well-to-do Nigerian-American teen who is finally ready to come out to his supportive parents. His secret boyfriend Soren (Spencer Neville), however, is not quite ready for that step, instead continuing to publicly date Tunde’s best friend Marley (Nicola Peltz). Over the course of a seemingly normal day, Tunde hangs out with friends, goes to his film class, and meets up with Soren for a clandestine rendezvous. But this normal day is cut tragically short when he is shot during a racially-charged encounter with cops. Then Tunde wakes up. Although not actively aware that his day is on constant repeat, Tunde starts making minor changes each day that subtly affect the way his day unfolds, though the day’s tragic ending remains a constant. Ali LeRoi’s feature debut dissects the confusing and painful consequences of being a Black, gay teenager in America. Using its GROUNDHOG DAY-esque structure, LeRoi exposes and explores the insidious, systemic racism pervading society.
CAST: Steven Silver, Spencer Neville, Nicola Peltz, David James Elliott
In Competition: First Feature Award
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