Yelling to the Sky
| Yelling to the Sky | |
|---|---|
_poster_art.jpg) Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Victoria Mahoney |
| Produced by | Victoria Mahoney Billy Mulligan Ged Dickersin |
| Written by | Victoria Mahoney |
| Starring | Zoë Kravitz Jason Clarke Antonique Smith Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter Shareeka Epps with Tim Blake Nelson and Gabourey Sidibe |
| Music by | David Wittman |
| Cinematography | Reed Morano |
| Editing by | Billy Henry |
| Studio | YTTS LLC Front Row Filmed Entertainment |
| Distributed by | MPI Media Group |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Yelling to the Sky is a 2011 drama film written and directed by Victoria Mahoney. The film premiered In Competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Bear.[1][2]
Plot
A teenager struggles with a troubled family environment as she tries to make a life for herself. Sweetness O'Hara is the 17-year-old daughter of a troubled and ethnically diverse couple; her father, Gordon, who is white, is caring but suffers from violent mood swings, while her African-American mother, Lorene, struggles with severe emotional issues that lead her to abandon the household. While Sweetness is pretty and bright, she attends a school dominated by youth gangs, and she's often the target of a band of streetwise girls led by Latonya who resent her for her light skin. While her school counselor, Coleman, believes she can make something of herself, Sweetness is more interested in immediate survival than her long-term future. She allies herself with Roland, who lures her into the world of drug dealing.[3]
Cast
- Zoë Kravitz as Sweetness O'Hara
- Jason Clarke as Gordon O'Hara
- Antonique Smith as Ola O'Hara
- Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter as Roland
- Shareeka Epps as Fatima Harris
- Tim Blake Nelson as Coleman
- Gabourey Sidibe as Latonya Williams
- Yolonda Ross as Lorene O'Hara
- Adam Tomei as Cal
- Billy Kay as Dobbs
- Gio Perez as Shorty
- Peter Anthony Tambakis as Drew
- E. J. Bonilla as Rob
- Sonequa Martin as Jojo Parker
- Hassan Manning as Bohanen
- Marc John Jefferies as Lil' Man
Reception
The leading US industry trade paper, Variety, said of the film, "Yelling to the Sky" boasts a strong directorial voice. [Victoria] Mahoney was clearly driven by a genuine creative gift, and escaped such restraints to unleash this affecting cri du coeur." [4]
Filmmaker Magazine named Mahoney one of the 2010 "25 New Faces of Independent Film", saying of the film, "A powerful, emotionally nuanced debut. Mahoney, who has drawn fine performances from her actors, has a sophisticated and empathetic understanding of the characters they play." [5]
References
- ^ "Berlinale 2011: First Competition Films". Berlinale. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
- ^ "First Berlin 2011 Contenders are Revealed". indiemoviesonline.com. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
- ^ Yelling to the Sky at AllRovi
- ^ Debruge, Peter (2011-02-12). "Critic". Variety. Retrieved 2/12/11.
- ^ Macaulay, Scott. "25 New Faces of Independent Film". Retrieved 7/20/10.
