Final Cut Producer

Producers, Editors & Filmmakers: Open Source Documentary

I’m making a call to the filmmaking community to assist in this on-line open source documentary. I encourage musicians to create music for this project too. The Greensboro community has heard the name of Gil Barber, not sure if they know the story. Gil Barber was only 22 years old when he was shot and killed by a Guilford County Sheriffs Deputy. This article at the Greensboro Justice Fund explains it better…

Gil Barber was 22 years old when he was shot and killed by Guilford Deputy Sheriff Thomas Gordy. It is undisputed that at 3:30 on the morning of May 18, 2001 Gil Barber was driving in High Point, North Carolina when he lost control of his car and crashed into a wooded area in a white [neighborhood. Apparently he managed to make it to a nearby church. From there, the dispute over truth begins.

Allegedly Gil broke a church window and entered. The Guilford County Sheriff's investigation found Gil's blood and six of Gil's teeth scattered around the church. The Sheriff explained the missing teeth as torn from his mouth when he bit the church collection plate, a theory later refuted by an examining dentist, who stated his teeth were knocked out. A neighbor called 911. When Officer Gordy responded he found Gil outside the church naked, unarmed, yelling at passing motorists and disoriented with an obvious head injury that would later prove to be a fractured skull. Officer Gordy barked orders at Gil to get down on the ground. According to the Sheriff, Gil did not cooperate and moved towards Gordy. Gordy stated he used pepper spray with no effect, then allegedly they struggled.Gordy went for his gun, which jammed at one point. He shot himself in the leg twice and fell back; Gil allegedly came at him, and he shot Gil 3 times, once in the heart. All happended in 113 seconds.

[Read more...]

How can you help in this matter? I’m cutting up an interview I had with Gil’s father, Butch Stewart, and will be posting the files on google video. You can download the files from google video and help create an on-line community documentary.

Also would love to get some ideas from you.

• who should be interviewed
• what kind of research can be dug up
• what visuals should I shoot
• you can add your own footage
• email people and post your findings in the comment thread

What is in it for you? You can help a grieving father rest easier and put closure on his son’s death. This documentary will focus on this incident but can go in any direction. It’s up to you, the people to tell this story. I want this story to be open to all perspectives and voices:

• the police community
• civil rights activists
• neighborhood communities
• people under poverty
• wealth people
• working class
• lawyers

I will be updating this each week. Count on it every Wednesday. Thanks.