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Activist’s poem about Ahmaud Arbery is now an animated Netflix film

Courtesy-of-Netflix

Netflix.com

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Timothy Ware-Hillis a well known poet that wrote, directed, and performed the film, “Cops and Robbers.” The short film was based on a prior poem Ware-Hill wrote in response to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery that surfaced May 5, 2020.

Before the film was put into works, Ware-Hill recorded himself reciting a poem while jogging down the street in his own neighborhood. 

That video grabbed thousands of people, via social media, around the world attention especially with the rise in the Black Lives Matter movement which stimulated the new Netflix film, “Cops and Robbers.”

This powerful seven-minute short film is combined with many diverse animation styles and live-action footage where this well executed project has become one of the best received shorts of the past year.

Ware-Hill is a well known Black activist, poet, and stage actor that collaborated filmmaker, Arnon Manor to direct a new spoken-word animated short film made for all the Black victims of police violence, discrimination, and racial injustice. 

“Art, poetry, writing, filmmaking have always been the ways I express myself,” Ware-Hill told Atlanta Black Star. “So when Ahmaud Arbery happened, I was angry, I was distraught, but I wasn’t surprised. Because we’ve seen it before, it’s just in a different context. But it’s the same story.”

There were many other animated contributors that helped complete this project including Jada Pinkett-Smith as an executive producer. Pinkett-Smith expressed how grateful she was to be a part of the powerful short film. 

“Cops and Robbers” is a film that is here to spread an impactful message and is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide.

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