There's no mistaking what's going on in Christian Heiche's Say Their Names, a call to remembrance and a call to action honoring the memory of black lives lost to police brutality with a short film that recalls remembered moments from the lives of recent lives such as Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Botham Shem Jean, and others. 

Each individual is portrayed by an actor who brings these moments to life with reverence and dignity, a dignity one can no doubt say they weren't provided in their real lives. 

Say Their Names had its viral moment when actress Viola Davis watched and forwarded the film, a well-deserved viral moment that allowed a wider audience to see this no-budget, high impact endeavor from Heiche. It's hard, actually impossible, to watch the film without feeling some heartache at lives lost and the cyclical brutality that continues. Say Their Names unfolds simply yet profoundly, a beautifully created reminder of institutionalized racism and the very real humans who continue to pay the price. 

You can check the film out for yourself above this review and check out the filmmaker's website at the link in the credits. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic