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Out of the eleven films that competed in the documentary category at the 27th annual American Black Film Festival, co-directors Luchina Fisher and Oscar Nominee Kate Davis takes the win for their film Locked Out. This Detroit-based documentary sheds light on black women battling redlining to achieve the American Dream of Homeownership. 

The Knockturnal had the opportunity to speak with the filmmakers and dive more into the significance of the film and why it’s important to amplify the voices of those fighting evictions, predatory lending, and modern-day redlining in America’s most segregated city. You can check out the exclusive full interview below: 

The Knockturnal: Why was it important to tell this story? 

Kate Davis: The critical issues around racial barriers to homeownership are not only huge, reflecting an enormous economic gap in America, but they are so often overlooked.  We felt we could get a wide audience to care and understand better the fabric of the country if we delved into the stories of Black women in the ‘trenches’ of home ownership challenges.

Luchina Fisher: Owning a home is the cornerstone of building wealth in America, and Black Americans have increasingly been locked out of the housing market. On this 55th anniversary year of the Fair Housing Act, the gap between white and Black homeownership is larger than it was when discrimination was legal. This is not a historical issue. These issues are playing out right now. And it’s important for people to see that through the stories of these brave Black women in Detroit.

The Knockturnal: And what does this win mean to you? 

KD: As a white woman, how much I took for granted regarding the prospects of owning one’s own home.  I also learned that generational wealth is fundamental and something we all need to fight for in creating a more level playing field for all.

LF: This win at ABFF means that the jury recognizes the importance and urgency of this story. I hope it will continue to lift the film so that it finds audiences and change makers who can really address some of these issues and the gap in homeownership.

The Knockturnal: Did either of you face any difficult challenges while filming this documentary? 

KD: One challenge was bringing complex issues to light in a way which evoked humanity.  This is not “just” a look at financial inequality, it is a portrait of a broken system that has enormous emotional impacts on families and the whole country.

LF: The biggest challenge for me was taking these complex issues of mortgages and redlining and predatory lending and humanizing them through the lives of these women in Detroit. What we learned during the filming is that Black women are the group in America most likely to be evicted or locked out of housing and that these issues are playing out in all parts of our country.

After a successful win at ABFF, the filmmakers are working on getting the film on a platform for wider distribution. Locked out is currently on the circuit headed to Newark, New Jersey, and Woods Hole, Massachusetts, next.