Spike Lee’s ‘Chiraq’ Is Not What You Think It Is
Don’t let the name Chiraq fool you. It is not a visual retelling of a Chief Keef mixtape or the latest installment in a Noisey documentary. Spike Lee’s newest project is modern twist of Aristophanes’ Greek play Lysistrata. It just happens to be set in Chicago, hence the name Chiraq.
Just in time for an Oscar qualifier, Spike Lee’s Chiraq is expected to be released this December, according to The Hollywood Reporter. As Amazon Studios’ flagship film, Chiraq has garnered controversy since production began.
Critics have blasted Lee as a racist exploiting the issue of gun violence for profit, citing his use of Chiraq as the film’s title as a pejorative. Many voiced disapproval of the movie being titled Chiraq including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who met with Spike Lee earlier this year, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Spike Lee shot back at critics, telling reporters Chiraq will “hold a mirror up to reality.”
“We have to stop the madness.”
Chiraq as a moniker is controversial as it points to an American city so besieged by gun violence, it is likened to a war-torn Middle Eastern country. It speaks to urban life captured in the lyrics of a song of the same name by Chicago rapper Chief Keef, who is mourning the death of rapper Capo, lost to gun violence only days ago. A 13-month-old baby was also killed in that incident.
“You standin’ on that block, here comes a drive-by/And innocent kids are gettin’ hit, now let’s ask God ‘Why?'”
Keef memorializes the term ‘Chiraq’ in his music, which is spread by the young people who live there. Gun violence is an issue particularly in large, urban enclaves like Chicago where the number of shooting victims at the end of 2014 clocked in at 2,589.
Year To Date
Shot & Killed: 212
Shot & Wounded: 1200
Total Shot: 1412
Total Homicides: 246#Chiraq, #Killinois— Chiraq Homicide (@ChiraqHomicide) July 12, 2015
Though the violence in Chiraq is not a laughing matter, it has become so prevalent that some have taken to humor as a coping mechanism.
Spike Lee’s Chiraq will attempt to do the same by using a Greek comedy to highlight an American tragedy.
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata is a comic tale of a woman who went on a mission to end a war by enlisting the help of local women, encouraging them to withhold sex from their partners in exchange for a peace pact. Spike Lee’s Lysistrata – Chiraq – promises to show a similar theme, with the war being gun violence in one of America’s most dangerous cities.
Lee anticipates Chiraq‘s anti-war theme will resonate with audiences as cities continue to experience increasing gun violence. Chiraq teases parallels between Chicago gun violence and the Peloponnesian war, using a female to highlight the collateral damage of sustained violence on a community where it seems no one can bring an end to the destruction.
Lee’s star-studded Chiraq cast sees the reunion between two Spike Lee Joint alums Wesley Snipes and Samuel L. Jackson, who co-starred as brothers in Lee’s provocative hit film Jungle Fever. Rounding out the Chiraq cast are Mad Men‘s Teyonah Parris, singer Jennifer Hudson, Chicago native John Cusack, The Practice‘s Steve Harris and American Horror Story‘s Angela Bassett. Chiraq wrapped production last week.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
