St. Louis Superman is a new documentary short chronicling Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives, and must overcome both personal trauma and political obstacles to pass a bill critical for his community.
Directed by Directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, St. Louis Superman, winner of Best Documentary Short at 2019 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, will have its New York premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 28.
Bruce Franks Jr. is a 34-year-old battle rapper, leading Ferguson activist and state representative from St. Louis, Missouri. Known as Superman to his constituents, he’s a political figure the likes of which you’ve never seen — full of contradictions and deep insights, who has overcome unspeakable loss to become one of the most dynamic and unapologetic young leaders in the country. This verite documentary follows Bruce at a critical juncture in his life. He’s forced to deal with the mental trauma he’s been carrying for nearly 30 years, ever since his 9-year-old brother was shot and killed in front of him. Only by confronting his pain can Bruce find peace and truly fulfill his destiny as a leader for his community.