Spike Lee Speaks About Chiraq Film

The famous Black American Director, Spike Lee spoke about his plans for his latest controversial film titled Chiraq based on on Chicago violence. The movie which is still in the pipeline is what his whole life purpose was all about.

While the nitty gritty stuff about Spike Lee’s latest venture is still being kept under wraps, some of the news seems to have leaked out. For one thing, the film titled Chiraq is the epitome of what his reason for existence seems to have been. The director, who is known for making movies that make you ponder, has said that this is the fruit of his three decade long career as a filmmaker and auteur. 

We can well understand Spike Lee’s efforts not to divulge everything. Many celluloid cellists seem to enjoy keeping the audience guessing at whatever it is they are cooking. Chiraq is intriguing indeed since its very title and emotionally charged contents seem to invite attention. The film is all about the fighting and bloodshed in Englewood. The movie is to begin its shooting with a complete set in Chicago in the peak summer month of June. 

Spike Lee told reporters at Chicago Press Conference (via Chicago Tribune) that many people formed opinions about the movie which were just not true. They didn’t know anything about what was in store for audiences. Lee said that it was only the director and actors who knew what would actually take place in the movie and not those who tried to second-guess the contents. That is all he said leaving the press mystified about what will be in the film. 

One thing which has been confirmed is that locals will get to work at the odds and ends of equipment in the movie. The subject matter is very stark and serious indeed though. It is about tragedy and the fallout of violence when it visits a particular region. Some say that the film is actually a present-day version of the Ancient Greek comic  play “Lysistrata”. 

In Lysistrata, the women are shown depriving their male partners of sex in order to end their warring ways. While this /4/seem rather funny to a modern sensibility, it actually contains a formal lesson or two. Lee is to decontextualize this work of literature and re-contextualize it within the framework of Chicago.  

Chiraq bears an uncanny resemblance to one of Lee’s previous movies which was titled “Do the Right Thing”. It very problematic since it touched a raw nerve among the audience members. Lee’s film will debut at the Cannes Film Festival when it is completed. Lee, who is a great lover of the city of Chicago said that everyone ought to view the movie before passing comment on it. What he is trying to show in this film is that naked violence is not the prerogative of the Middle East but could take place anytime in the heart of the US of A itself.