My Block My Hero, 25min., USA
Directed by Gina D'Onofrio
Jahmal Cole is the founder of My Block My Hood My City, a Chicago-based non-profit with a mission to inspire youth and empower local communities. He has been shot twice in his day-to-day life, an unfortunate reality that the teenagers and communities he has dedicated the organization to uplifting face on a daily basis in the murder capital of the United States. By leading community-driven efforts, Cole has made it his goal to build a better world one block at a time, while positively impacting the lives of the teens who grow up there. Through the Explorers program, My Block My Hood My City enables youth from Chicago’s divested neighborhoods to discover the world beyond their blocks, by taking them on enriching experiences across the city and the country that open the doors to new possibilities. In their latest adventure, the Explorers went behind the scenes at the Shedd Aquarium to learn how researchers are working to preserve the world's endangered coral reefs.
http://www.youreverydayheroes.com/
https://www.instagram.com/youreverydayheroes/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
Jahmal Cole is doing amazing work with teenagers through My Block My Hood My City in Chicago, where I'm also from, and I've read quite a few articles about him. When I was tasked with finding a "hero" who was really impacting the community, asking if he was willing to participate was a no brainer.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Around a year and a half. There was a lot of coordination between MBMHMC and the Shedd Aquarium, where they allowed us to film the teenagers on an Exploration that involved going behind the scenes and propagating coral. The editing process afterwards was also lengthy.
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