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Project Detail

Zoned In

Synopsis

It wasn't exactly a promising childhood. An impoverished father at fifteen, Daniel joined the family business, becoming a drug dealer despite watching his two brothers jailed for the same crime. But when his mother narrowly escapes a prison sentence, and moves the family from North Carolina to the South Bronx, Daniel is given a fresh start. At Taft High School, one of the most violent, notorious high schools in the nation, Daniel discovers that education can give him a future away from poverty and crime. Mature beyond his years, and increasingly articulate, he becomes a dedicated student, not only is he the first of his family to graduate high school, but he wins a scholarship to one of the most elite universities in the US.

Just as he thinks the world is his oyster, Daniel falters. A fish out of water he feels alienated not only by his white classmates, but even more so by his middle-class black ones. Filmed over nine years by director Daniela Zanzotto, and narrated by Daniel himself, this is a remarkable portrait of a self-believer determined to steer his own path in life.

Details

Year
2009
Type of project
Features
Running time
90 mins
Format
Mini DV
Director
Daniela Zanzotto
Producer
Colin Pons
Co-Producer
Colin Pons
Editor
Dominique Lutier
Director of Photography
Daniela Zanzotto
Sound
Daniela Zanzotto
Composer
Christopher Grande Jr

Genre

Black Drama

Categories

Fiction Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Disruptive Element Films

daniela@disruptive.co.uk

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