First, let’s talk about the film’s title. Do you see it as a kind of call to action or is it simpler than that?
The title "Stop" is a bit of a double entendre—it was simple and catchy, but it also posed a question which I thought was fitting for the film we were trying to make—a film that doesn't necessarily provide answers, but one that asks the right questions and starts meaningful dialogue around an important subject.
Where did the story come from? Did it start with the national headlines or is there a more personal story here?
For me, the story was not necessarily new, but it was something that I thought needed to be told in a way that could open up dialogue around the issue. One that didn't necessarily choose sides, but opened up room for discussions that would hopefully lead to meaningful change. The decision in the Trayvon Martin case was one that sat heavily on my conscience as a filmmaker and a human being—that moment for sure started the dialogue in my own head which eventually led to the script months later.
The film has had a lot of success on the festival circuit. What has the reaction been like? Anything you didn’t see coming?
There have been so many mixed reactions to the film, mostly positive, but the one that sticks out the most was during our very first screening at Sundance last year. We screened the film to a packed house in Salt Lake City. I remember not getting one question during the Q&A thinking to myself "Oh man, they must've hated it." But then as I was walking out of the theater, there was a row of people waiting to greet me. One woman tracked me down while crying and shaking. She was Caucasian in her late 40s. She grabbed my arm, looked me dead in my eyes and said, "Thank you. Thank you for making this film. I have a son, he's 17, and that could have been him. I worry about him every day." That moment has stuck with me to this day, and it was then that I knew the film spoke to a wide range of people, defying race and stereotypes, and was just about humanity.
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