'A Love Song for Latasha': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about the Netflix documentary
In 1991, a Korean-born store clerk shot 15-year-old Latasha Harlins in the back of the head at her store. The store clerk, Soon-Ja Du, claimed that Harlins had placed a bottle of juice in her backpack to steal and that she had shot the girl in self-defense. However, two eyewitnesses and a videotape of the incident did not corroborate Du's account. The police concluded that Harlins did intend to pay and after a scuffle broke out and Harlins turned to leave, Du reached for a revolver and shot Harlins from a distance of three feet.
The death of Latasha is seen to have contributed to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and the mayor's office estimated that 65 percent of all businesses vandalized during the riots were Korean-owned, according to reports. Du's store was looted and burned down during the riots and it never reopened. While the jury recommended a sentence of 16 years, the trial judge, Joyce Karlin, sentenced Du to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service and a $500 fine.
Latasha's death perhaps impacted the icon, Tupac Shakur the most. Her death was referenced by him in many of his songs, like 'Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)' ("Latasha Harlins, remember that name... 'Cause a bottle of juice is not something to die for"), 'Thugz Mansion' ("Little Latasha, sho' grown/Tell the lady in the liquor store that she’s forgiven/So come home"), 'Hellrazor' ("Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why/Little girl like Latasha, had to die."
Latasha's death was no doubt impactful and a new Netflix documentary short ponders on the life that was lost. 'A Love Song for Latasha' will air in Netflix shortly. Read on to know more details of what to expect.
Release date
'A Love Song for Latasha' will be available to stream on Netflix from September 21, at 12 am PST.
Plot
The official synopsis states: "The injustice surrounding the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins at a South Central Los Angeles store became a flashpoint for the city’s 1992 civil uprising. As the Black community expressed its profound pain in the streets, Latasha’s friends and family privately mourned the loss of a vibrant child whose full story was never in the headlines. Nearly three decades later, director Sophia Nahli Allison’s 'A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA' removes Latasha from the context of her death and rebuilds an archive of a promising life lost. Oral history and memories from Latasha’s best friend and cousin converge in a dreamlike portrait that shows the impact one brief but brilliant life can have."
Cast
The documentary will feature Tybie O’Bard, Shinese Harlins, Zoe Flint, Nnenna Brown, Marley Cortez, Londyn Sharp, Raigan Alex, Juanita Jennings, Richard Cortez, Hannah Martin, Faith Martin, Irie Hudson, Tatiana Johnson, Tanya Smith-Johnson, Mikayla Roberts, Jazzena Booth, Lena Hightower, and Kyndall Dowell.
Director
Sophia Nahli Allison
Sophia Allison is a Black, queer experimental documentary filmmaker and photographer. She is a 2020 United States Artists Fellow and a recipient of a 2014 Chicago 3Arts Award. Her previous works include 'Revisiting the Myth of Flying Africans', 'Untangling the Politics of Black Hair', and 'Hashtag Revolution: Black Girl Magic'.
Trailer
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