Using Video as a Bullhorn for Milwaukee Social Issues

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The People's Revolution

The People's Revolution

Bullhorn Films is a video production company run by Madeleine Schweitzer and Sean Kafer whose mission is to tell otherwise-untold stories about struggles against injustice. They hope to convey impactful messages to help shape a better future for generations to come while being ever so cognizant of representing individuals truthfully and intentionally.

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They started during the uprisings sparked by the murder of George Floyd through a deep concern about safety for their community, as Kafer explains.

“I think it was Vaun Mayes—among others—who called everybody down to 27th and Center Street for a discussion about police violence. I came and filmed it; I’d always been interested in things Vaun Mayes says. I was introduced to Khalil Coleman after watching him speak that day, and we marched the streets of Milwaukee. Maddie and I started going out and filming, wanting to hear what people had to say. There was a lot of hate and negative things being said about the marches … the first couple days, there was a bit of destruction … and it caused a lot of panic and anger towards the marching. But we saw a different side—completely. We followed The People's Revolution and saw a beautiful, peaceful, nonviolent, and loving movement.”

The People's Revolution (TPR) have 10 demands: refund the community, demilitarize law enforcement agencies, community oversight, police accountability, mental health evaluation of officers, ethical treatment of civilians, body camera use and accountability measures, de-escalation training mandated for all police, undergraduate requirements for police and financial incentives for residency. They marched for over 400 consecutive days and continue to mobilize when actionable community issues arise.

Kafer continued, “We followed them every day; if I couldn’t be there Maddie would be there, or vice versa. What we realized that there’s a story of, is that there were a lot of marches after the death of George Floyd, and it hit close to home. In Wauwatosa, Officer Joseph Mensah killed two young men and a boy in a time period of five years. Usually, a police officer will go their entire career without firing their weapon, but this officer was being protected.

“Watching the community get together in a nonviolent way and speak up for what they thought was unjust was something that was very much of interest to us. We got to meet the families of Jay Anderson, Alvin Cole, and Antonio Gonzalez (Thee Three). They were good people … and it was heartbreaking that somebody would take their lives away.”

“We were entrusted with portraying the message of TPR,” Schweitzer added. “We put out short videos pretty regularly - sometimes weekly—to inform the public on the actual goings-on of the group, who were not always portrayed in the best light in the media.”

Their video series documenting the daily activities of TPR is called “Volume Up.” Additionally, Bullhorn Films are now working on a feature-length documentary with the working title “Won’t Stop.” Schweitzer shares what made them want to tell TPR’s story in this particular way.

“Overtime we saw something really special happening with these marches that just continued. There were families that were reached and communities that were touched by TPR, and from there we experienced Kenosha, the National Guard in Wauwatosa, and following the Alvin Cole decision. All of the circumstances surrounding Thee Three compelled us to share that there was more to the stories.”

The Learning Curve

Kafer and Schweitzer have learned much over the course of Bullhorn Films’ run. 

“You can’t just sit back and listen to the news,” Schweitzer said. “You have to get out there and talk to people in your community and see for yourself what’s actually happening. There are so many amazing people in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin in general, and it was so beautiful the way everyone united and rallied around this important cause. It made me really proud of our city and really hopeful for our future.”

Kafer added, “There’s so many negative discussions around Milwaukee. You go to any news website and they’ll tell you about all the violence and how dangerous it is here, but Maddie and I have learned that Milwaukee truly does have amazing, caring, and loving people. We’ve also learned how difficult the justice system is, and we’re wondering why officers are wanting to be warriors rather than those who serve the public in a righteous way.”

Recently, TPR has seen a resurgence in their literature distribution. Schweitzer said, “Right now, we’re letting people know about the Jay Anderson case and what exactly is going on. Hopefully we can rally some support around his family.”

As of late, Kafer and Schweitzer have been gathering individual interviews to be used for “Won’t Stop.” Last July, Judge Glenn Yomohiro found probable cause against Joseph Mensah in the Jay Anderson case. The prosecutors will announce their decision of whether or not to charge Joseph Mensah on April 29.

For more information about Bullhorn Films or to donate, visit their website here. For more information about The People’s Revolution, visit their website here.