Ava DuVernay to launch fund focused on storytelling around police abuse

Los Angeles, June 9 (IANS) Filmmaker Ava DuVernay is determined to use the power of storytelling to change the narrative around police brutality and abuse.

Amid the ongoing protests triggered by the May 25 death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody, DuVernay has launched an initiative named The Law Enforcement Accountability Project (LEAP). She announced the project during her appearance on “Ellen DeGeneres Show”, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

It is a fund focused on storytelling around police violence and abuse that will commission projects across multiple forms of media including film, literature, theatre, dance, fine art and music.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about my own rage. My own emotions,” DuVernay said while talking about the initiative.

With LEAP, DuVernay said: “We’re asking for narrative change and we’re creating narrative change around police abuse, misconduct and murder of black people. We’re changing the lens of the story.”

The initiative is designed to empower activists to pursue narrative change. It is envisioned as a two-year project to launch at least 25 works of art.

Explaining the idea further, DuVernay said: “LEAP is specifically looking at storytelling through the lens of police accountability. There is a lack of accountability happening at police departments, police unions and in the courts, a lack of laws on the books that really protect citizens from officers who have a certain number of grievances. The idea is that if the courts won’t do it, if the police unions won’t do it, if the departments won’t do it, then people can do it.”

–IANS

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