Andy Mundy-Castle’s documentary, Shoot the People, follows photographer and activist Misan Harriman as he travels the world capturing images of protests and the people driving them. It all began at the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations. The film traces how Harriman uses the camera to witness uprisings, confrontations, and iconic moments of social justice. He’s there on the streets at first for the George Floyd protests, and then for cease-fire protests for the Israel-Gaza war. His process is to immerse himself in the action and discover moments that resonate with him.
The documentary moves between his present-day work and the personal history that shaped him. Raised in Nigeria and later sent to boarding school in the U.K., Harriman grew up emotionally distant from his father, a Cambridge-educated man, and struggled with his identity. The murder of George Floyd had a profound effect on Harriman, inspiring him to photograph protests as a way to process his personal trauma. Harriman also has the chance to speak with other activists, such as Martin Luther King III, to explore student-driven activism in contrast to the world his father came from. Together, they reflect on how communities in the 60s used protest to challenge power.
Harriman seeks a broader understanding of global activism and its origins as he travels to South Africa to explore the legacy of apartheid and learn from the work of legendary activist photographer Peter Magubane, who penned the famous words, “A struggle without documentation is not a struggle.”
“…follows photographer and activist Misan Harriman as he travels the world capturing images of protests and the people driving them.”
The film also follows Harriman as he endures his most intense criticism and online hostility after his short film The After receives an Oscar nomination, even as he continues to chronicle movements such as the Palestinian liberation effort. The contrast is stark between him being all dressed up for the Oscars and receiving a $170,000 gift bag and the massive protests that were pushed far from earshot of the luxurious event. He wonders if he’s on the wrong side of this event.
As ironic as the title “Shoot the People” is, director Andy Mundy-Castle gives us a comprehensive overview of the current protest movement through the life of Misan Harriman. You see a man struggle as a youth with his identity. The son of a distant father, and being in a world surrounded by racism. He found a community in activism and a love for photojournalism. Self-taught, he makes his art the voice of the people whose images he captures.
Watching Shoot the People, I have a better understanding of how progressive Millennials and Gen Z see injustice around the world and of their motivations to protest. Look. I definitely have my opinions about the global outbreak of protests. I may or may not agree with the underlying reasons young people are willing to go on the street and risk physical harm, jail, or an unblemished future, but Harriman gives me context as to why.
Andy Mundy-Castle’s Shoot the People is definitely political in nature, yet comprehensive. It’s an incredible profile of one of his generation’s most prominent public voices. Misan Harriman brings a great deal of insight to his cause, which will embolden those who agree with him while also giving those who don’t a better context and understanding. I firmly believe peace can only come through understanding those with whom you disagree.
For more information, visit the Shoot the People official website.
"…I have a better understanding of how progressive Millennials and Gen Z see injustice around the world..."
