“Freedom or Everybody Dies” is a 5-minute mixed media short that blends photography, video and music to tell the real story of hip-hop’s present generation. Focusing on the subculture that takes place in many of America’s inner cities, “Freedom or Everybody Dies” is comprised of still photos and video footage synchronized to a score that highlights the intensity of the images.
Shot in and around the now defunct Arcadian Gardens, a subsidized housing project in East Orange, New Jersey, the short film gives a glimpse into the lives of the children and young adults who lived there. With B.L.O.O.D. red as the backdrop, director Akintola Hanif presents a very real image of the gang presence and culture within “The Bity”, as Arcadian Gardens is known to it’s former residents.
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