Contemporary thought on housing and urban development is one of the most powerful influences on the way people talk about the meaning of community. The new drama, ‘We Grown Now,’ is one such vital story that serves as a rich and textured portrait of the relationships – particularly friendships – people often neglect to acknowledge during those discussions.
The film is set in Chicago’s infamous, now-demolished Cabrini-Green homes, which were constructed over several decades beginning in the late 1940s. But the once innovative public housing complex had slowly become irrelevant by the early 1990s, in which time the movie is set, as the community – and the world – had changed significantly.
‘We Grown Now’ was written, directed and produced by Minhal Baig (‘Hala,’ TIFF 2019). The filmmaker spent significant time with former residents of Cabrini-Green, gathering their stories and garnering their support to adapt them to the screen. The result is a lyrical and poignant tale of boyhood innocence, social change and the fight to hold on to optimism.
In ‘We Grown Now,’ two young boys, best friends Malik and Eric (Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez), discover the joys and hardships of growing up in the sprawling Cabrini-Green public housing complex in 1992 Chicago.
Along with his mother Dolores (Jurnee Smollett) and grandmother Anita (S. Epatha Merkerson), 12-year-old Malik has lived in this community all his life. The same is true for his best friend Eric. Together, the boys know every nook, stairway, and rooftop of the housing complex, all of which serve as a playing field for their adventures.
But change is intruding on their childhood idyll. Drugs and crime are seeping into the neighborhood and, when a sudden tragic event further shakes the families, the children’s future becomes uncertain. As Dolores weighs a new job that would take them to the unfamiliar suburbs, Malik and Eric struggle with accepting that they may have to say goodbye to each other.
The project had its World Premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it won the Changemaker Award. The drama then went on to be nominated for three honors at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, Best Cinematography for Pat Scola and Best Editing for Stephanie Filo.
After ‘We Grown Now’ premiered at TIFF, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the project. The company released the movie in theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago on April 19, before expanding it n=nationwide on May 10. Sony Pictures Entertainment is now distributing the film on digital platforms, including Apple TV, today, June 19.
Baig generously took the time to talk about penning, helming and producing ‘We Grown Now’ during an exclusive interview over Zoom last fall during TIFF. Listen to the full interview’s audio above.
Film Factual 