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Spike Lee’s former intern has created a documentary telling the story of life at the peak of gang life in South Carolina. The filmmaker chronicles his own experiences as the leader of the largest South Carolina gang in history.
COLORS: Bangin’ in South Carolina follows the Southern state’s gang activity from 2000-2010, during which South Carolina was ranked No. 1 in violent crime, even beating out California and New York. Terrence Davis, a native of the state, lead the largest Crip gang in the area by the time he reached age 17.
At age 23, after losing one friend to suicide and another to murder, Davis left gang life behind and indulged in his filming interest. He first began experimenting with filming stories when he recorded gang, drug, and crime activity in his area and uploaded it to YouTube. When his videos garnered thousands of views, he knew he had discovered a topic worth sharing with the world.
Davis earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of South Carolina in 2010 and moved to New York City a year later. After two years, he snagged an internship with legendary director Spike Lee and completed COLORS: Bangin’ in South Carolina.
The documentary will be shown in Atlanta at the Gwinnett Center International Film Festival on Saturday, Aug. 1. For more information, visit the COLORS: Bangin’ in South Carolina Facebook page here.
