The Abstraction of Violence in Cinematic Storytelling

Director RaMell Ross discusses his new film, Nickel Boys, with fellow Director Channing Godfrey Peoples in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses approaching his adaptation differently from the book while still trying to stay true to it, working with his actors and DP to capture his unique perspectives for the narrative, and his considered approach to imagery with this subject matter, given the historical imagery preceding it. Based on the novel by Colson Whitehead, the film tells the story of Elwood, who’s sentenced to the brutal reformatory Nickel Academy in Jim Crow South after an innocent misstep. Upon meeting Turner, a seasoned ward of the reformatory, Elwood learns the fundamental tips for survival while striving to hold onto his humanity- and forms a powerful friendship with Turner. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/NickelBoys_QnA_1024