Philadelphia Weekly
October 11, 2006
By Maggie Serota

Jeffrey Parks was so moved by Steve Volk’s PW stories covering thugs-turned-indie-filmmakers Shawn Banks and Rick Kennedy and their documentary Close to Death that he tracked the duo down. Now he’s debuting their visceral and brutal portrayal of Camden and North Philly street violence at the Artists United Against Violence summit held at the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts. Parks, the Rutgers University performing arts programs director, explains, “These weren’t film students, but they turned the camera around on real people, examining the impact of gun violence. The film is rough, raw, and real.” Close to Death bears a graphic but cautionary tone akin to the classic Scared Straight TV specials. Parks hopes it’ll inspire kids and young adults to make different choices than the people portrayed in the film: “Some of them aren’t with us anymore.” Following the screening, a panel of community leaders and activists will address the issue of gun violence. Closing the event will be a free all-ages concert headlined by Roc-a-Fella recording artist and recent Roots collaborator/rapper Peedi Peedi. (Maggie Serota)