Oakland, California
"Kafkaesque" is a short documentary understood through 23 years of life and visualized through 7 days of protest in Oakland, CA from May 29, 2020, to June 5, 2020, following the killing of George Floyd.
Franz Kafka's novel, The Trial revolves around a man named Josef K. One morning he is arrested for unspecified reasons. Both Josef K and the reader never find out why he was arrested. The novel relates directly to the experience of Black people in America. As an African American, you enter a world that you don't really understand, it is complicated and full of bureaucracy. Everyone understands their role within society except Black Americans, the group of individuals largely responsible for the construction of the United States. Your talents and creativity are often lauded, but your skin is the exception.
In the end, Josef K accepts that he is powerless, unable to sway the minds of those who can dictate his future.
Kafkaesque in this context is the endless, nightmarish persecution of a group of individuals solely based on preconceived notions derived from the color of their skin. This nightmarish persecution is carried out by those who are sworn to "serve and protect".
director, director of photography, editor: Skyler Glover
photography: Clara Mokri
music: Nicholas Britell, Kendrick Lamar, Mobb Deep