When Men Grieve
This video was initially recorded as a personal keepsake for my partner, Harold “Homeboy” Wilson. But as I began capturing my friend’s emotional journey back to his hometown of New Orleans to give his longtime best friend Lionel Baptiste Jr. a traditional “Send-off,” I recognized the importance of men having space to grieve.
In our society, men are seen as soft when they show emotions other than anger. They are encouraged to be strong, tough, and to suck it in, while who cry as weak are branded as weak.
As I captured the musicians from various brass bands joining in to play their instruments, dance, and sing to celebrate Lionel Baptiste Jr.’s Life, I realized that the music and movement in the dirge expressed every tear drop they wanted to release.
As they 2nd lined from the church to the burial, it gave them a moment to express their grief by playing instruments, singing songs, and dancing. When men grieve, we all grieve.
Directed by Parris Lane (USA)