Directed by Sophia Nahli Allison, A Love Song for Latasha is an American documentary film which will release on 21st September 2020, on Netflix. Latasha Harlins was a 15-year-old black girl who was shot in the head by a Korean-born store clerk in 1991. This incident was quite impactful and gave rise to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and people demanded justice and civil uprising.
Take a look at the trailer below:
The Story of Latasha Harlins:
“When I was 4 years old, I recall the fires from the 1992 L.A. riots being so monstrous that the roof of a house on my block appeared to be ablaze. A dark thick smoke began filling the air in the distance. Weaving bits and pieces of 1992 back into my subconscious, this is my most vivid memory. ” says Sophia Allison.
Latasha Harlins, a black girl of 15 was shot right in her head by Soon-Ja Du, a Korean store clerk. The store clerk said that she had shot the girl in self-defence and that she was stealing a bottle of juice. However, the videotapes and eyewitnesses at the Du store had captured that incident and in reality, Du killed Harlins with her revolver even after she intended to pay for the juice. This incident left everyone enraged and Harlins’ family mourned the death of their young daughter. There was a series of riots and protests in 1992 after this injustice all over the country. Du’s store was robbed and burned down during the protests and it never reopened.
What is the Documentary about?
Well, the documentary on Latasha Harlins is not just about the riots or protests. As the title suggests, it is a long song, a note of affection and memories shared by her cousin and best friend to create a dreamlike account.
The official synopsis goes like “The injustice surrounding the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins at a South Central Los Angeles store became a flashpoint for the city’s 1992 civil uprising. As the Black community expressed its profound pain in the streets, Latasha’s friends and family privately mourned the loss of a vibrant child whose full story was never in the headlines. Nearly three decades later, director Sophia Nahli Allison’s ‘A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA’ removes Latasha from the context of her death and rebuilds an archive of a promising life lost. Oral history and memories from Latasha’s best friend and cousin converge in a dreamlike portrait that shows the impact one brief but brilliant life can have.”
Who is in it?
A Love Song for Latasha will feature Tybie O’Bard, Shinese Harlins, Zoe Flint, Nnenna Brown, Marley Cortez, Londyn Sharp, Raigan Alex, Juanita Jennings, Richard Cortez, Hannah Martin, Faith Martin, Irie Hudson, Tatiana Johnson, Tanya Smith-Johnson, Mikayla Roberts, Jazzena Booth, Lena Hightower, and Kyndall Dowell.