'Charm City' Director and Subjects To Take Part In Live Chat/Q&A On May 1

Event will provide update on characters from Oscar-shortlisted documentary two years after film's premiere

The story of Baltimore in recent years has been one of violence and economic struggle in the city's poorer neighborhoods. But even as the homicide rate reached alarming levels, community activists did not surrender, redoubling their efforts to sow hope and resolve conflicts that might otherwise prove fatal.

Those local heroes, a group that includes the remarkable community leader Alex Long, became the focus of the acclaimed documentary Charm City, directed by Marilyn Ness. The film earned a place on the Oscar documentary feature shortlist in 2018 after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in April of that year.

On Friday (May 1) Ness, Long and two other subjects of the film -- Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott and Lt. Colonel Monique Brown of the Baltimore Police Department, will take part in a live chat and Q&A to update audiences on their lives and on the city since the film's release.
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Charm City delivers a candid portrait of citizens, police, community advocates, and government officials on the frontlines during three years of unparalleled, escalating violence in Baltimore.

--From the Charm City official website

The live event is set for 4PM Eastern Time. Click here for details.

I spoke with Ness and Long in October 2018 before Charm City's theatrical release. Ness emphasized that her film, while bracing in many respects, is also inspiring.

"It was a really hard film [to make], and certainly devastating on many levels, but I've been surprised and really glad that audiences feel hopeful when they leave," Ness told me. "I do think the challenges are immense, but they're not insurmountable."

For my piece on Charm City, click here. 

Director Marilyn Ness and subject Alex Long participate in a Q&A following an IDA screening of "Charm City" in Los Angeles, October 4, 2018. Photo by Matt Carey