Jackson and McMurray talked to Rotten Tomatoes about the film here are seven Burning Sandsrevelations they shared. $24.99. Perhaps most disturbingly, Nuwer suggests that participants are willing to go through the suffering as they know they too will be able to inflict the punishments a few months later. Average Rating (4 ratings) To the north of the Empire of Rokugan, lies a mysterious land called the Burning Sands, where great empires clash, where deadly intrigues abound in the great Jewel of the Desert, and where intrigue and war are one in the same. It was predicted it would take decades to extinguish them. The film is an ode to brotherhood, a . In January 2016, it was announced Gerard McMurray would direct the film, from a screenplay by himself and Christine Berg, while Stephanie Allain, Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures, Reginald Hudlin and Shawn Knapp will serve as producers on the film alongside Netflix. However, creating a film like this puts the director between a rock and a hard place, because while he is addressing very real issues of hazing and people seeking membership in BGLOs for superficial reasons, to truly address every aspect of the situation would require him to reveal confidential details of the process of pursuing membership in these organizations. The film is based on the personal experiences of the writer-director Gerard McMurray, and was inspired by Robert Champion, the FAMU drum major killed in a hazing ritual in Orlando, Florida. There was only one scene in a classroom, while there were several scenes at a fast food restaurant. Sometimes, waking is worse than the nightmare. All rights reserved. What do you think the film did well?Nothing really. For me, pledging a fraternity meant much more than just wearing some letters and being popular. My grandfather, uncle and cousin are members of Kappa Alpha Psi (Rev. To Rokugani, the Burning Sands are a gaijin enigma. Is Burning Sands streaming? Other organizations use this term as it speaks to the trials and tribulations that people face and rise above in life. I analyzed how they performed. Burning Sands | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix Watch on Burning Sands is the debut feature from Gerard McMurray, whose most notable producing credit is on Ryan Coogler's devastating. If you're able, e-mail us scans at no less than 600 dpi in a high-quality format at LBS.Remastered@gmail.com. In the spring of 1981, a hunger strike involving an IRA prisoner became a story that caught the world's attention. Showing Editorial results for burning sands. Hell Week is the period that culminates one's pledging process. 1.6K 108K views 5 years ago We speak to the director and cast of Netflix's Burning Sands about what happened at the end of the movie, and what it's all about. All rights reserved. Shadow of the Tyrant. Tales from the Burning Sands is a lore-friendly, serialized adventure mod which will evolve through chapters. Contrary to popular belief Greek organizations are more than popularity and step shows. But anti-hazing rules have driven his Hell Week underground, and the veteran members of his fraternity have degenerated into a pack of vicious, drunken, sadistic louts. On some HBCU campuses, this is true but thats an individual choice, not an organizational one. Maybe I am just brainwashed to protect what I hold so dear. But anti-hazing rules have driven his Hell Week underground, and the veteran members of his fraternity have degenerated into a pack . [2], The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2017. So, whatever they throw at me while pledging will only make me better and prepare me for the real world. Gerard McMurray, the films director, has said he was inspired to make the film following the death of Robert Champion. When you think about the people who viewed this movie, especially at Sundance, I assure you, it was mostly a white audience. In order to be a part of BGLO, there are academic requirements that must be met, meaning while there is a possibility your grades could slip during the pledging phase, there is still a large portion of your focus that must remain dedicated to your education. Search instead in Creative? In 2012, he was named one of 125 top alumni in Florida A&M University's 125-year history. Most took plea deals. For current members, it is time to reinvent your process and become smarter. This is not just among U.S. college students, but also includes high school students, military deaths, adult societies, Masonic organizations and occupational deaths. As one of the many proud FAMU alumni and a friend to many who experienced the same ritual, including my dad, I was torn regarding the Champion incident. Certain parts were difficult to watch, but I believe that most of those were impactful parts of McMurray's directorial decisions. Although the girls, parties, and respect gained are reasons for some, it's not for everyone. To follow in their footsteps was a great challenge and honor for me. Information Japanese Version Information Location Information Battleground 6 Wild Doges spawn after 8 seconds 240f, delay 16.67~20 seconds 500f~600f. Matrix/Take: B-27626/5. I cant ignore, however, what seems like an increasing number of incidents. 77 were here. I like going to places where I dont go everyday but there definitely has to be balance., Burning Sandsbegins streaming Friday, March 10 on Netflix, 270 Best Movies Directed By Women of the 21st Century, Best Netflix Horror Series: Scary TV Series To Watch, The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere Features Sad Bo-Katan, a Bad Baby, and a Pirate Problem, The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of March 2023, The Mandalorian Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni on Grogus Force Training and the Darksabers Significance, Copyright Fandango. The genres of the film Burning Sands is/are Drama, . It is also equally irresponsible for members of BGLOs to dismiss this movie as pure fiction when it is not. I learned to make something out of nothing. Mike Deng (2013): Died following multiple body slams by 20-30 members of a fraternity. The episode opens with the family finding Frank hovering near death on the couch after his attempted suicide by a heroin overdose, but aside from Liam, no one particularly seems to care if he lives or dies. It's completely meaningless. If there is no struggle, there is no progress, Zurich recites at one point, underscoring the ideainitially subscribed to by Zurich, and born out by his fraternity big brothers professional successthat his suffering is for a greater purpose. Its symbol is a lion. McMurrays film raises that provocative suggestion early on, during a discussion in Professor Hughess (Alfre Woodward) classroom about a historical letter describing the fear, distrust and envy used by whites to control their black human property. When Samuel Mason died at Radford University, the price for sixpeople who gave him enough alcohol to put him to death was a $1,000 dollar fine each. I believe this was absolutely necessary. My response: If you simply see it as that, then it will be just that. I was embarrassed because, as a proud member of a BGLO, movies like this erase any respectful thoughts my wife had of my fraternity experience. Its not a coincidence that the Divine Nine organizations were founded during the Jim Crow era. While pledging, I was never disrespected. I was broken down and built back into someone much better than when I started. I thought: Robert was a grown man and made the choice on his own why put these students in jail for something he willingly put himself through? Burning Sands By Frank Touby Rated 5.00 / 5 based on 1 review Before the catastrophic BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico all earth was threatened by the oil disaster in the Persian Gulf over 700 oil wells were set on fire by Saddam Hussein. He lived and died, quite literally, for his profession as an actor, but there was a side that few outside celebrity circles knewFrank Sutton the cultured Ivy League grad and serious student of theatre history. But again, I think theres a way to start that conversation and create a film that shows why BGLOs are great and not the bad stereotypes. 2 Wild Doges spawn after 23.33 seconds 700f, delay 13.33~16.67 seconds 400f~500f. Sports team initiations in the UK are well publicised and examples of hazing exist in most countries. You have a community that depends on you to serve. Al Ashwa! It was fairly accurate, but with films like this and othersStomp the Yard,Drumline,etc.they won't ever give the completely perfect picture to the experience because each HBCU and the chapters of those organizations are unique and different. This may be the only peek into Greek life for some people, and you don't want it to be blanketed by stereotypes. They inspired other young blacks to go to college and even provided college scholarships to high school students. It emphasized the false perception that hazing is at the heart of Greek Organizations, when really at the core is a strong bond of love, sisterhood, and brotherhood. Villa had been attempting to gain entry into the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at California State University when he was coerced into taking part in the hazing practice. Zurich takes out his cell phone and calls his dad, realizing why his father never joined the fraternity, and the movie ends. On March 9, hip-hop music fans around the world were recognizing the 20th anniversary of rapper Biggie Smalls death. So much of black Greek life and mystique are based on secrecy and discretion. For me, it meant that I completed one of the most arduous treks of my life. Branden Bufford, Howard University '11, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. What was your initial reaction after watching Burning Sands?I was disgusted by the process, but also not naive to that the fact that somenot allof these activities still take place. "Burning Sands," Gerald McMurray's feature filmmaking debut, is one of the fresher entries, thanks mainly to its setting: a historically black fraternity on a historically black campus like Howard, the university where the co-writer and director got his degree. But, these conversations will be useless if they don't bring in members from all bodies of the orgsundergraduate, graduate, and members at large. It stars Trevor Jackson, Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Tosin Cole, DeRon Horton and Trevante Rhodes. The movie leaves you feeling empty, like there's no real meaning behind it all, and that's the whole point; it's just like the hazing death that it portrays. Gerard McMurray, a producer on acclaimed filmFruitvale Station, directed and co-wrote Burning Sands, which also stars Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage), Steve Harris (The Practice), and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Black fraternities and sororities are without question a huge part of the black college experience now as it was for most of the 20th century. BurningSands director said that he wanted to use the movie to start a conversation about a call to action to stop hazing. In the early 1900s, as today, the ability for educated blacks to come together to serve their communities was integral to fighting the injustices they faced in America. McMurray was inspired to write "Burning Sands" after the hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion in 2011. I admit that simply pledging (or being hazed) doesnt ensure greatness. Its a saga of brutal physical and emotional violence, and the question lingering over it is: are these Greek men figuratively, if not also literally, adopting the tactics of slave-owners against each other? I wanted to show young black men at a black college and the challenges they go through on the path to manhood.. But now as a parent of a teenage daughter who will enter college in three years, I understand the point that had to be made. I read an article that stated that since 2000 there have been 60 reported fraternity/sorority related deaths and 40 have been from white frats. Some 1,600 homes and buildings have been destroyed. You dont have to beat or touch someone to challenge them. Legend of the Burning Sands. I learned to push my mind, body and soul to limits that I didnt think were possible. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads | EU Privacy Rights | Cookie Policy | Manage Preferences. Anything else?As people of color, we are all unique and multifaceted in so many ways. Sundance Film Review: 'Burning Sands' Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (competing), Jan. 24, 2017. Theres a kind of effect where because you have endured this the next guy is certainly going to endure it, which is another reason why it doesnt stop theres always this need to do it at least one more time.. I just wish that there were more nuances that showed the positive aspects and members of the organization in the film because there are so many! I didnt take any part of the film personally, but I was confused by some of the far-fetched details of the plot. All of us had at least a passing interest in Burning Sands, a film that turns the pledge process into a stressful . Promising student Zurich opens his eyes to some hard truths when his fraternity's violent hazing escalates into a disastrous hell night. Burning Sands is a 2017 American drama film, directed by Gerard McMurray, from a screenplay by McMurray and Christine Berg. Between takes, Gerard would be like, Trevor, calm down. Im always eating and Im always happy. His latest book, "The Ratline," is a gripping sequel. See production, box office & company info, It's alright, I guess, but I just couldn't connect to it. While I do not agree with the entire approach, I would be a fool to say that the topic wasnt relevant. The ongoing rumors about his passing have been deemed true. We rarely see black people in college, he said. In 1998, I would be blessed to cross those same sands at FAMU. Waking to a new world could be his death. Its the idea of tradition, that its been done for X amount of time, even if its a criminal act, even if its bizarre behaviour, its part of that group. That topic is of similar concern to the latest original feature from Netflix, Burning Sands, albeit in a manner thats as unexpected as it is intriguing. Yes, Jason David Frank is unfortunately dead at the age of 49. Burning Sands: Jihad is the first setting supplement for Burning Wheel Revised, and is based on Frank Herbert's Dune, with a nod to modern politics.Salt is melange, the Mahdi-Emperor is Paul, the Sisterhood is the Bene Gesserit, and the Syndicate is the Guild. I felt it was pretty accurate in the sense that it depicted how modern-day pledging has lost its way; although being a member of an organization brings status and a network, is it worth the loss of self-dignity and respect? In his new Netflix movie, Burning Sands, director Gerard McMurray ( Fruitvale Station) takes an unflinching look at college hazing. It's based on true events and sheds light on the dangers of hazing. When then-President Barack Obama announced his My Brothers Keeper initiative, all Divine Nine organizations pledged their support and extended their resources. The story was national news for weeks when 15 defendants were originally charged. Based on feedback from people who arent Greek-affiliated, the positive characteristics of these organizations arent portrayed prominently enough in the film to indicate that the negative experiences that it depicts are exceptions to the norm. Read what each of them took away from Burning Sands in the interviews, below. Hank Nuwer, author of Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking, explains to i why students willingly take part in hazing rituals. I can go from the boardroom to happy hour without changing. Jackson said he chose this project to convey a message. I couldnt help but think about the Jay Z song Get Your Mind Right Mami, in which he exclaims, Its a secret society, all we ask is trust. All rights reserved. We see one sorority member, admirably depicted as being intelligent and strong-willed, but we dont get a sense of her connection to her sorority sisters. Would they be proud of the ways we initiate new members? [1] In January 2017, Common boarded the film as an executive producer and will contribute an original song to the film. They want people to see it, especially students, and think about the repercussions of hazing, McMurray said. Being that the focus was on excessive hazing, there should have been more light shed on the positive aspects other than stepping and parties. Burning Sands is a workmanlike but unavoidably predictable yarn about the perils of college fraternity hazing.The fact that, this time, the setting is an all-black school really doesn't change . What do you think the film did well?I would like to applaud the director for taking on such a controversial topic and shedding light on to the consequences of pledging gone wrong. He suggests, however, that education on the practice and an improved definition is likely to reduce rituals. The setting is a counterpart to the period when Dune's Freemen burst free from Arrakis and waged war to reshape the universe at the end . Two years later, two Virginia State University students Jauwan Holmes and Marvell Edmonson drowned during an initiation ritual for an unsanctioned group called Men of Honor. What are your thoughts on that?I think the purpose of the film was to start a serious conversation about the severity of underground pledging. There are some who are attracted to the parties and boisterousness of particular organizations. Like records, traditions are meant to be broken, especially when it involves violence that can lead to serious injury and death. Series: Burning Sands. Academia and growth were only [tangentially referenced] in Burning Sands, while there was an emphasis on social life. Anything else?A lot of Greeks are upset about the movie being made, but I applaud the director. Presenting an accurate representation of Black Greek life and the HBCU experience is almost impossible if you're not from this world, so it's interesting to note that McMurray is an alum of Howard University and a member of Omega Psi Phi. I would be very hesitant about showing something like that in front of white audiences; it feeds into the narrative that black men are savages. The Witch Trials of JK Rowling makes sensible points. A lot of people fail to realize you have to meet a certain criteria academically and have a good standing within your community before your application is even considered. But she was very supportive of me as a first-time director. After filming this, I talked to my team and I was like, Guys, we do need something a little light., I cant cry everyday, he added. 12 brothers and sisters tell us what they think. It also discourages her from allowing our daughter to pledge in the future. What would you have changed about the film?There needed to be more light shed on the different aspects of the pledge process and the members already in the organization. Why not focus on a band specifically and show the good and then the turmoil? However, Burning Sandsdid expand the representation of BGLO in film to a certain extent, by incorporating older fraternity members into the story line in order to demonstrate the organizations emphasis on lifelong, active membership, rather than simply focusing on pledging as other films have. While McMurray's inspiration is well-intended, I feel there were more aspects to show. Burning Sandsgives us the good, the bad and the ugly about fraternity life at HBCUs, Trevor Jackson, Steve Harris in Burning Sands. Looking at the film, I am not even sure why anyone would have wanted to join Lambda Phi, based off of how they conducted themselves on campus. Those often entail reciting fraternity dogma, doing push-ups, jogging in place, running errands, or standing arm-in-arm while being profanely beratedor spit on, slapped, punched and kicked. Production: A Netflix presentation of a Mandalay Pictures, Homegrown. Burning Sands takes place at a fictitious HBCU, Frederick Douglass University, during the Lambda Phi fraternity's Hell Week. Since 1969 there has been at least one death every year caused by hazing practices in the United States. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Co-starring Moonlights Trevante Rhodes in yet another film about African-American masculinity, Gerard McMurrays dramawhich premiered at Januarys Sundance Film Festival, and is based in part on his own experiencesconcerns five African-American college freshmen going through Hell Week, a hazing rite of passage required to gain admittance to prestigious Lambda Phi fraternity. A lot of the people who are involved are athletes: its been ingrained in them from a young age not to quit and thats important to them.. How do you feel about the way in which BGLOs experience was portrayed in this movie?I believe that the representation of Black Greek Letter Organizations could have been more well-rounded. From its opening sequence, in which Frank suffers the repercussions of protecting Zurich from mistreatment, Burning Sands pulls no punches in its depiction of the horrors that would-be frat boys willingly tolerate to join their coveted Greek ranks. I wish the film also mentioned less frivolous reasons for joining a fraternity. But questions remain about the world: Who created the monstrosities that roam the lands? It shows how a pledgeship can go so wrong, and what we can do to prevent a meaningless death. Apollo then goes on, in mourning and shock, and by the end of the book, Riordan closes with Apollo remembering the words of Jason; promising himself to . These events have, do, and will continue to happen. Pledging a fraternity or sorority is not the same as hazing. Following 1908, there would be four more black fraternities and three more black sororities created, all boasting their own illustrious history, members and contributions to American and world history. Burning Sandsdirector is a Howard University alum and amember of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. "Netflix Expands Global Indie Strategy With Slate Of New Features", "Common Joins Sundance Pic 'Burning Sands' As EP, Will Contribute Original Song", "Sundance 2017: Robert Redford, New Rashida Jones Netflix Series, 'Rebel In The Rye' & More On Premiere, Docu, Midnight & Kids Slates", "Netflix Announces Slate of Original Films, Documentaries and Series at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burning_Sands_(2017_film)&oldid=1128965190, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 22:58. Actor Trevor Jackson arrives at the Screening Of Netflix's "Burning Sands" at Rave Cinemas on February 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The world can be a cruel place and growing up as a black man or woman is exponentially harder. I had great trepidation before I watched Netflixs new movie Burning Sands. FAMU settled a lawsuit for $1.1 million and issued an apology about the incident.