The Rodney King riots didn’t start with Rodney King. This is the tagline for Director John Ridley’s new documentary, Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992.
In a reexamination of the 1992 Los Angeles rebellion, Ridley’s film cuts through the smoke to trace the roots of the uprising back a decade before the first match was lit. Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 weaves in first-hand accounts from Los Angeles residents of all ethnic backgrounds and classes who were witness to the rising tensions and the veritable explosion of anger and fear that flowed through the streets in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict.
Following the DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s Documentary Series screening on October 2, Ridley sat down with Director Sam Pollard (The Talk: Race in America) in the Guild's New York Theater to discuss the making of Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992. Ridley also spoke about the documentary following the DGA Special Projects Committee screening in Los Angeles on October 19 with Director Chuck Workman (Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles).
In addition to Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992, Ridley’s credits include the feature films Jimi: All Is by My Side and Cold Around the Heart; episodes of the mini-series Guerrilla; and episodes of the television series American Crime, Presence, Barbershop and Platinum. Ridley has been a DGA member since 2003.
You can listen to Ridley's Q&A by clicking the podcast episode embedded below.