20 years after it won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, we present a screening of Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. with a special panel discussion including writer/director/producer Leslie Harris.
Chantel Mitchell is a seventeen-year-old ‘Brooklyn Girl’, who has lots of ambition and plenty of attitude. But, to many annoyed subway straphangers, this bright, brassy but beautiful teen is deemed invisible. To them, Chantel is Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Chantel has a plan; graduate early from high school, go to college and med school. Her plans are derailed when she discovers she is pregnant, and she must make decisions that she’d rather ignore. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. is a breakthrough feature film by director-writer-producer Leslie Harris. It dramatically explores the coming of age of a teenager in urban America. Through its provocative cinema verite style and rich characters development, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. shatters many stereotypes of inner city teens. With a great performance by Ariyan Johnson, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. is a stand-out from a decade rich with talent in the African American Independent film scene.
Panel discussion following the screening with filmmaker Leslie Harris, actress Ariyan Johnson, and writer Nelson George, moderated by Uptown Magazine’s Angela Bronner Helm.
Director: Leslie Harris. 92 min. 1992. 35mm.
Ticket Price: $12, Film Club Member: $8.