Magnolia Pictures has released a new trailer for the documentary Whose Streets? Directed by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis, the film chronicles the Ferguson uprising from the very beginning, with a ground-level look on Day 1 at the community’s outpouring of grief over the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, the overbearing police response, and the subsequent turmoil. This trailer gives an overview of the characters you’ll meet within the context of the film, as it really serves as an unflinching historical document about this pivotal moment in modern American history.

I caught the film back at Sundance and found it to be a powerful and effective film. While it does indeed tackle the response in Ferguson, its greatest strength is as a chronicle of the birth of a movement. We see protestors getting organized, honing their message, and working to enact significant change through their actions and words.

Check out the new Whose Streets? trailer below and click here to read my review from Sundance. The film opens in theaters on August 11th.

Here’s the official synopsis or Whose Streets?:

Told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice, Whose Streets? is an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising. When unarmed teenager Michael Brown is killed by police and left lying in the street for hours, it marks a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis, Missouri. Grief, long-standing racial tensions and renewed anger bring residents together to hold vigil and protest this latest tragedy. Empowered parents, artists, and teachers from around the country come together as freedom fighters. As the national guard descends on Ferguson with military grade weaponry, these young community members become the torchbearers of a new resistance. Filmmakers Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis know this story because they are the story. Whose Streets? is a powerful battle cry from a generation fighting, not for their civil rights, but for the right to live.