A documentary filmed in Baltimore breaks down the misrepresentations made in "The Wire."
If you say the word "Baltimore," around the world, many people immediately think "The Wire."
While the HBO series did contain truths, it was also limited in scope and misrepresented much of the community.
A local documentary that premiered at the Senator Theatre Thursday night works to illuminate the real Baltimore, and the people working to make it a better city.
WJZ sat down with the filmmaker and one of the community members profiled in the documentary, "Beyond the Wire."
The film will have a second screening at the Senator Theatre on June 25 and again at the Parkway Theatre on August 29. Find more information here.
Impact of The Wire
There is no arguing about the impact that "The Wire" had.
Filmmaker Rasheem of the Baltimore Legacy Project said she made "Beyond The Wire" to counter the negative stereotypes shared in the HBO series.
"It's really an opportunity to elevate the voices of people in the community, in Baltimore, to kind of speak for themselves and say, 'this is who we are, and this is who we are not, and we're perfectly capable of telling our own story,'" said Rasheem.
Erikka Bridgeford was among dozens of community activists who were included in the film.
"Even in the places that Baltimore is broken and needs healing... Baltimore is a place that, if there is healing needed, you can find at least three non-profit organizations working to heal that one particular thing," Bridgeford said.
Highlighting progress in Baltimore
Bridgeford and Rasheem said it's because of the work of those non-profits that the city has seen a recent dramatic drop in crime.
"The faith leaders, the churches, the organizations that were already doing the work before police and before funding caught up and before the news paid attention. They were already doing the work," Rasheem said.
The film also makes the argument that there is a reason for the years of negative messaging around the city.
"One of the reasons that this is a Baltimore Legacy Project and focuses on legacy is because it brings in the history of conditions. Every issue we see here has a historical root," Rasheem said.
