Earlier this year, we invited the filmmakers behind Cycle to the podcast for a deeper look at their document about police violence in America. In the months since, Cycle won Best Feature Documentary at the Brooklyn Film Festival and is now gearing up for more screenings and more film festivals around Wisconsin and beyond. So it seemed like a good time to revisit our conversation with directors Laura Dyan Kezman and William Howell. Enjoy.

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On this episode, Dori welcomes some very special guests to talk about a very important film: Cycle.

More than five years in the making, Cycle takes an unflinching look at the patterns behind police violence in America through the story of Ty’rese West, an 18-year-old from Racine who was shot and killed by Mount Pleasant police officer Eric Giese in 2019 after being stopped for riding a bicycle without a headlight.

Joining the podcast to talk about their film — and their deep connections to it — are directors Laura Dyan Kezman and William Howell, both of whom are from Racine. Uniquely Milwaukee host Kim Shine also sits in for this one as the quartet talk about:

Howell's personal connection to West's family and the Racine community, which helped build trust for the deeply personal footage in the film.
The challenging process of obtaining public information from authorities.
How the death of George Floyd in 2020 reframed their work.
Who holds power in the criminal justice system, particularly the District Attorney.
The challenges of and potential for filmmaking in Wisconsin.
The hope that Cycle serves as a catalyst and inspires viewers to push social justice forward.

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Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Co.