*The trailer for Spike Lee’s upcoming film “Chi-Raq” is getting a thumbs down with some residents of Chicago.
Media sources report that the trailer has received mixed reaction among (advance screening) filmgoers, some of which believe that Lee’s depiction of the city was an insult.
The criticism hits home for Chicagoans, in light of the death of Tyshawn Lee. The 9-year-old was shot at close range multiple times in an alley on Chicago’s South Side.
Lee’s high-profile critics include rapper Rhymefest, who blasted the Oscar nominated director while demanding that he issue an apology to the city.
Directed and co-written by Lee, “Chi-Raq” is a satire that centers on the women of Chicago withholding sex from their gang member boyfriends and husbands in an effort to stop the on-going warfare in the city. The movie’s premise comes from the comedic Greek mythological story “Lysistrata,” which included ancient Greek women doing the same thing to stop the Peloponnesian war.
Responding to his haters, Lee released a video on Friday (Nov. 6) that found him responding to the backlash, saying that although here are humorous moments in the “Chi-Raq” trailer, the movie by no means makes light of the constant killings happening in Chicago.
“In no way shape or form are we making light of the lives that have been murdered with this senseless violence, so people don’t get it twisted, don’t get it twisted, this film is about serious business,” Lee said.
To see Lee’s video response to the backlash over his “Chi-Raq” trailer, check out the video below:
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