ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
REVELATIONS IN TEAR GAS explores the social, racial, and political tensions of America in 2020, beginning at the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, OR.

SYNOPSIS
The reaction to George Floyd’s murder was as much a view into human behavior as the event itself. In Portland OR, which hosted the longest running BLM protests of any city, nighttime protests took a strong anarchical turn. Protestors, the majority of whom were white, shouted chants such as “Quit your Job”, and “Fuck the Police”. While the Left’s solution to ending un-checked police brutality against people of color was to “defund” the police, in Portland many people wanted to completely abolish them.

For many still, if you are wearing a police uniform, you are a racist oppressor. But is it really that simple? This is a generalization, a human tendency that shows itself over and over again in America. From a human perspective (rather than a political one), this film seeks to analyze this tendency and unearth a 360 degree view of American perspectives. It explores the role of police, the reasons we’re divided, and an effective path to change through interviews with activists, police officers, black leaders, politicians and more.

There is Elizabeth, a mother who protests in honor of her recently deceased daughter and believes that yes, in a racist system, “All Cops Are Bastards”. There is Lieutenant Franz, the man in charge of the police response during the Portland Protests, who discusses the difficult decisions he struggles to make every night. There is Dwayne, an older African American man living in North Portland, who sings songs in protest and is determined to believe that people—even cops—can be good. Through their stories and many more, this film asks Americans to question who we are, how we react, and how we want to act when change is necessary.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature / Film Essay

DIRECTOR Thisara Pinto
PRODUCER Leela Dunn
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Thisara Pinto, Eric Post

WEBSITE revelationsinteargas.com