As I Am
Alan Spearman / USA
(14 min)
Chris Dean grew up in one of Memphis’ toughest neighborhoods. He barely survived heart surgery when he was two-and-a-half and later his father was murdered in a gang shootout. Through grinding poverty and unrelenting desperation, Chris has fought to rise above it. In 2011 he gained national attention when he was chosen to introduce President Barack Obama at his high school graduation. His future is unimaginably brighter than he thought it could be, but he isn’t forgetting his past. Filmmaker Alan Spearman went with the young man to the South Memphis neighborhood that shaped him. The poetic and powerful imagery combines with the young philosopher’s trenchant observations about life.
- Filmmaker attending