Friday night I attended a great event at 2007 Frankford Ave. Jon Olshefski and crew gave us a sneak peek of his ten-year labor of love: Quest: the Fury and the Sound.
It is always fun to be packed in a room full of Philly’s diversity. I met new and old friends, experienced the much-changed atmosphere of Frankford Ave. on a Friday night, visited Circle Thrift and watched Amanda fuss an event into reality (thanks Amanda!). A radio commentator from WURD led a panel that included the Rainey family, Jon Olshefski, Gwen White, the film’s producer, and a representative of Philadelphia Ceasefire who inspired me. They were all commenting on the remarkable excerpt of the film we were shown. Jon Olshefski essentially became part of the Rainey family for a season and documented their love, their hope and their tragedy.
Synopsis: Shot over nearly a decade, Quest: the Fury and the Sound was originally planned as a documentary portrait of the Rainey family and their home music studio, which serves as a special sanctuary within their North Philadelphia neighborhood. When a stray bullet wounds their youngest daughter, the film shows the family’s strength in the face of adversity and their dedication to being a force for good in their community.
It is tremendously exciting when one of our loved ones (and in Jon’s case, one of our leaders) offers their art and uses their talent for good. Let’s hope that Sundance wants to screen it!