Black Philadelphians Fight Futuristic Police Violence in ‘Resistance’

By Sameer Rao Jul 10, 2017

Philadelphia-based filmmaker M. Asli Dukan draws on the city’s history of Black community resistance against police violence and law-and-order governing for her new speculative fiction webseries. 

Dukan describes "Resistance: The Battle of Philadelphia" on its GoFundMe page as "a six-part, near-future web series that introduces the audience to a world where a clandestine collective of Philadelphia residents mobilize to resist police violence and the authoritarian government embedded in their city." To that end, the above campaign video features clips from the series that depict injured activists evading laser-toting police officers. Dukan builds on the themes of her previous work—including "Invisible Universe," her to-be-released documentary about the past and present of Black speculative fiction creators—to bring Black organizing and revolutionary struggle into a futuristic context.

"As campaigns to reform police departments and to abolish police departments collectively raise their voices across the country, I wanted to add my own voice to the public conversation through my art," Dukan adds on the GoFundMe page. "’Resistance: The Battle of Philadelphia’ is an attempt to create a work of art that not only entertains, but enlightens and empowers the audience to be critically engaged with their world."

Dukan and her creative team have already raised more than $1,500 towards the $15,000 goal. The money will cover production costs including filming permits, cast and crew (most of whom are local artists and activists of color) compensation and editing. The campaign concludes July 25, with production beginning in early August. 

Those who live in Philadelphia or plan to attend the BlackStar Film Festival there can check out a special prologue episode during an August 5 short-project screening. Learn more at ResistanceSeries.com and GoFundMe.