I admit that simply pledging (or being hazed) doesnt ensure greatness. [Burning Sands] depicts the honor, distinction and dignity promised to the brothers of [the fictional] Lambda Phi just as clearly as it shows the danger in their baptism by fire, according to Netflix. According to hazing expert Hank Nuwer, there has been at least one death every year from 1969 to 2016 as a result of hazing, initiation and pledging-related accidents. McMurray drew from real-life hazing deaths at two different HBCUs. . "I include step dancing and the Greek brotherhood just like School Daze," McMurray said. A 2007 survey showed that 55% of male and female students took part in hazing rituals. Burning Sands - Trailer VOST Bande-annonce - Seulement sur Netflix [Full HD,1920x1080] NoPopCorn. But the filmmaker disputes that. In the early 1900s, as today, the ability for educated blacks to come together to serve their communities was integral to fighting the injustices they faced in America. Hank Nuwers new book Destroying Young Lives: Hazing in Schools and the Militaryis availablenow. The story is told through the eyes of a black fraternity pledge. 'Burning Sands' Explores the Terrors of Hazing and the Legacy of Slavery TRAUMA Gerard McMurray's ('Fruitvale Station') new Netflix film, premiering March 10th, follows five black men navigating. Our HBCUs and BGLO are very important in this country. Thats just me, though. Frank's Death. All rights reserved. I think it accurately looked at some of the current obstacles we have to solving these problems: the silence of the current pledges, the blind eye some professors and admin turn for sake of "tradition" or not wanting to get too involved, current members not seeing the problem because "they went through it, so the pledge can do," students on the outside of the process feeling the need to just go with the flow even when they see their friends suffering. Director, Gerard McMurray, began writing the script shortly after the death of Robert Champion, a drum major student at Florida A&M University who died during his frat hazing in 2011. There is more to this movie than hazing. Actor Trevor Jackson arrives at the Screening Of Netflix's "Burning Sands" at Rave Cinemas on February 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Released March 10th, 2017, 'Burning Sands' stars Trevor Jackson, Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Tosin Cole The movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 45 min, and received a user score of 58 (out of. The pledge process for me is going to be different for the next person, but we share that commonality that we were willing to sacrifice for our place in the organization. Burning Sandsdirector is a Howard University alum and amember of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. Many of the BGLOs have already begun to have these conversations on the executive level. If it isn't, it's always more worth it to question instructions and stand up for what's right. If creating a call to action about hazing was the motive, then why was the rest of the film pretty negative as well? Gerard McMurray, a producer on acclaimed filmFruitvale Station, directed and co-wrote Burning Sands, which also stars Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage), Steve Harris (The Practice), and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Blavity. Style + Culture, delivered straight to your inbox. His ability to captivate is even stronger inBurning Sands,a film that capitalizes on his strengths. Nuwer believesthat harsher sentencing needs to be handed out to those who instigate extreme acts of hazing. What is the Spanish language plot outline for Burning Sands (2017)? Who wants to see someone else walk in and enjoy the fruits of something you sacrificed for and worked tirelessly to help create and/or sustain? The movie leaves you feeling empty, like there's no real meaning behind it all, and that's the whole point; it's just like the hazing death that it portrays. Villa had been attempting to gain entry into the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at California State University when he was coerced into taking part in the hazing practice. Being that the focus was on excessive hazing, there should have been more light shed on the positive aspects other than stepping and parties. One of the great things about pledging for me was that I learned the true meaning of humility, which has taken me far in my life and career. Zurich is joined in his fraternity quest by four mates, only two of whomangrier Frank (Tosin Cole) and nerdy Square (DeRon Horton)are really defined by McMurray and Christine Bergs screenplay. Hi, my friends! McMurrays film raises that provocative suggestion early on, during a discussion in Professor Hughess (Alfre Woodward) classroom about a historical letter describing the fear, distrust and envy used by whites to control their black human property. There are some colleges that dont have those groups but they still have hazing in their athletics groups. Champion was taking part in a ritual known as Crossing Bus C, which involved walking up the aisle of a bus while receiving kicks and punches. Two years later, two Virginia State University students Jauwan Holmes and Marvell Edmonson drowned during an initiation ritual for an unsanctioned group called Men of Honor. LBS Sealed & Full Sets. To Rokugani, the Burning Sands are a gaijin enigma. While I do not agree with the entire approach, I would be a fool to say that the topic wasnt relevant. During the era of underground pledging, there continues to be a constant when it comes to lawsuits, serious injuries and deaths at the hands of the Divine Nine organizations. Not everyone is Greek, and not everyone wants to be Greek. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. 3/6/2019 in General. The first chapter, The Chef, features an individual who needs your help for a variety of unusual tasks. However, Greek life for most blacks has more significance than for some of my black and white friends who pledged predominantly white fraternities and sororities. Burning Sandsgives us the good, the bad and the ugly about fraternity life at HBCUs, Trevor Jackson, Steve Harris in Burning Sands. Burning Sands is a movie about this group of young college freshmen who want to get into this fraternity and have to go through one week of humiliation by its members. I love having fun, Jackson said. In the spring of 1981, a hunger strike involving an IRA prisoner became a story that caught the world's attention. Earth is dying and humanity's only hope of survival will be somewhere among the stars. The Great Empire (aka GE or simply . McMurrays film isnt nearly as stylized as Neels, taking a more straightforward aesthetic approach to its material. More so disappointed. But BGLOs are anti-hazing organizations, so what is depicted in the film is far from being the norm of the process of becoming a member. What would you have changed about the film?I would not change anything about the film. I just wish that there were more nuances that showed the positive aspects and members of the organization in the film because there are so many! These senseless deaths inspired Netflixs compelling new movie Burning Sands, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and starts streaming on Netflix on Friday March 10. What do you think the film did well?I believe that it gave the viewer a look into a very exclusive world. When Samuel Mason died at Radford University, the price for sixpeople who gave him enough alcohol to put him to death was a $1,000 dollar fine each. Co-starring Moonlights Trevante Rhodes in yet another film about African-American masculinity, Gerard McMurrays dramawhich premiered at Januarys Sundance Film Festival, and is based in part on his own experiencesconcerns five African-American college freshmen going through Hell Week, a hazing rite of passage required to gain admittance to prestigious Lambda Phi fraternity. No matter what it is, its not worth a persons life. Id be remiss to say that the film was entirely falsified; Gerard McMurray didnt make up the violent initiations depicted in Burning Sands. Its the idea of tradition, that its been done for X amount of time, even if its a criminal act, even if its bizarre behaviour, its part of that group. From the time I played little league sports to the time I entered corporate America, Ive experienced some form of hazing. Burning Sands takes place at a fictitious HBCU, Frederick Douglass University, during the Lambda Phi fraternity's Hell Week. These organizations bring people together, make change in the world, and give you a bond that you cant find anywhere. No one dies in School Daze,but in real life people die all the time.. $24.99. Looking at the film, I am not even sure why anyone would have wanted to join Lambda Phi, based off of how they conducted themselves on campus. According to CNN, the last three defendants were convicted of manslaughter and are serving time in prison. They inspired other young blacks to go to college and even provided college scholarships to high school students. I learned to make something out of nothing. Deep into Hell Week, a favored pledgee is torn between honoring his code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing.Deep into Hell Week, a favored pledgee is torn between honoring his code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing.Deep into Hell Week, a favored pledgee is torn between honoring his code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing. All have different reasons for pledging but the one goal is to become part of the brotherhood. How do you feel about the way in which BGLOs experience was portrayed in this movie?I believe that the representation of Black Greek Letter Organizations could have been more well-rounded. What are your thoughts on that?There needs to be a serious conversation had about hazing amongst BGLO and other organizations on campus. 100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (March 2023), 100 Best Movies Written by Women of All Time. The subject matter behind American Crime and Burning Sands is very heavy. The world can be a cruel place and growing up as a black man or woman is exponentially harder. It is also equally irresponsible for members of BGLOs to dismiss this movie as pure fiction when it is not. I actually received a 4.0 GPA while I was pledging. The one where the pledges made phone calls back to their older big brothers felt really good to watch. Instead of highlighting the important reasons people join sororities and fraternities forfamily lineage, support system, seeking personal and professional growthit created a narrative that was negative. Despite charities like hazingprevention.organd activists like Nuwer, the problem of hazing is likely to persist,according to the Indiana lecturer. For alumni, you have to take oversight over your undergrad chapter and make sure the young adults are not making uninformed decisions that could compromise their futures. Burning Sands Golf Collection FRATERNAL GOLF Par 06 GOLF BAG COLLECTION Burning Sands Alpha Phi Alpha Black Golf Stand Bag $235.06 Add to cart Burning Sands Alpha Phi Alpha White Golf Stand Bag $235.06 Add to cart Burning Sands Kappa Alpha Psi Crimson Golf Stand Bag - COMING SOON $235.11 Sold out Sold out Burning Sands How do you feel about the way in which BGLOs and the HBCU experience were portrayed in this movie? Hazing is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. From the time I became interested to the time I crossed totaled 18 months. [4], Burning Sands received positive reviews from film critics. While the movie is named after the term "crossing the sands," it doesn't have much to do with the phrase's meaning. His last words to Apollo are "GO! I think it does an excellent job of showing the dangers of hazing. While others may deem it as a negative, I actually liked the way the film ended. Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first black sorority, would be founded two years later in 1908 (Michelle Obama and tennis great Zina Garrison are members). We rarely see black people in college, he said. I say that because I look at a movie like School Daze that truly encompassed what it was like being a student at an HBCU. What was your initial reaction after watching Burning Sands? Be sure to include what name you would like to be credited with! I was excited but nervous, McMurray said. 'Burning Sands' And The Death Of The Carefree Frat Film The dark side of the boys' club by Grant Rindner March 10, 2017 For a certain subset of society, there used to be no purer form of. [1] In January 2017, Common boarded the film as an executive producer and will contribute an original song to the film. NYLON 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. As a member of a Black Greek Letter Organization, were you personally offended at any point during the film?I was not personally. Patrick Jackson, Morehouse College '11, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Racial power dynamics are at the heart of Hollywoods reigning box-office champ Get Out, a horror hit that not only upends genre conventions, but allegorically addresses the lingering legacy of slavery in 21st century America. To my surprise, McMurray, a member of Omega Psi Phi, did a good job showing this. It leaves it up to the audience to interpret, which for me, isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Presenting an accurate representation of Black Greek life and the HBCU experience is almost impossible if you're not from this world, so it's interesting to note that McMurray is an alum of Howard University and a member of Omega Psi Phi. Burning Sands is a 2017 American drama film, directed by Gerard McMurray, from a screenplay by McMurray and Christine Berg. Five young men pledge Lambda Lambda Phi Fraternity at the historically Black institution, Frederick Douglass University. 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