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The Woman who Made ‘Player Hating: A Love Story’ – A Prelude #indiefilm
Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 6:48PM 
In an upcoming interview that’s long overdue, I will be introducing you to Maggie Hadleigh-West, a film director who took several leaps of faith to capture the kind of stories that are not seen on your local morning (or evening) TV news shows.
Embarking on the documentary “Player Hating: A Love Story,” about a young hip-hop artist who has a record deal and plans to use his debut album as his ticket out of the projects, she risked her safety – and that of her interview subjects – to highlight the grim realities that some of us are privileged to not having ever experienced in our lifetimes.
On Maggie’s first day of production at the Brownsville Housing Projects, some neighborhood teenagers robbed her film crew – stealing their equipment and almost blowing her cameraman’s brains out with a 9mm pistol. When the rapper she was working with dropped out for safety reasons, her search for a new main character of the film led to the Albany Projects in the Crown Heights neighborhood, where lyricist Half-a-Mill (who was managed by a former NYPD detective) became the subject of this movie. Half’s protection by Brooklyn Bloods also extended to Maggie but she eventually obtained her own security while filming the rest of “Player Hating: A Love Story.”
Blood Sport, one of the founding members of the Crown Heights Chapter of the Brooklyn Bloods, was among Half’s many associates that Maggie came to know while making her movie. He lost his mother to homicide after she was raped and then thrown off of a building.
While many of us do not know what it’s like to lose a friend or loved one to such violent deaths, we all share the common grief and possibly even anger that accompanies the loss of anyone closest to us. We also know what it’s like to feel abandoned or less important to the entities that are supposed to serve and protect our communities. Yet, there is very little concern for the fires, gas leaks, missing persons and homicides that go unnoticed in the media headlines nationwide – probably due to a mentality of people not having to “deal” with the troubles that are present in what has become a melting pot for fear and hopelessness.
I have no idea how one would go about exploring, and even attempt to address, all of the issues that plague the poverty stricken areas of our nation but I’ve wondered -- how does a filmmaker -- any filmmaker -- literally put herself or himself in harm’s way for a labor of love that focuses on day-to-day realities that a lot of people prefer to avoid and/or even refuse to acknowledge? Maggie’s experiences in making “Player Hating: A Love Story” is just one example of the lengths that many filmmakers are willing to go to bring their work to fruition.
As I try to scream and throw my hands up to rid the stress of finishing my own movie, I hope – for the sake of every filmmakers’ sanity and health, no matter where they are in the world -- it’s all worth the hassles in the end. Maggie is one of the filmmakers whose work is a reminder that some of the challenges that we face are not as bad as they seem to us at the moment. I mean, if you aren’t in a workplace or situation where it’s likely you will be shot at any given time (as Maggie and her associates were while making this movie), then chances are you’re doing just fine.
Stay tuned for an interview with one of the most daring women directors of our time!
*Also, tomorrow’s Monday Movie Meme will be posted in the evening.
Reader Comments (5)
Wow! I've never known film making to be such a dangerous endeavor. I can't imagine being at work, typing on my computer, when suddenly some cat sticks a 9mil in my face demanding my hardware *or else*. This is absolutely crazy. But what's even more unbelievable is that Maggie had the fortitude to carry on even after her life-threatening encounter. She has more guts and drive than I ever will!
That's a gutsy lady for sure. You're not gonna find me putting myself on the line for making a film, but I know there are many dedicated filmmakers and journalists who do this sort of thing all the time.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Will have to look for this movie. Yes, if we're not currently in the middle of that kind of environment, we take out safety far too much for granted. Nobody should have to live like that in America, where most of us have plenty, and some have more than they could spend/consume in a lifetime, and then some.
This director went quite the distance to get this story told. Can't say my environment was quite that bad growing up, but it was not a Leave it to Beaver situation by any stretch of the imagination. It's a rough place, the housing projects of some parts of the country, and yeah, it is oft forgotten, glossed over and pushed aside. Who wants to admit to the truth of such harsh living in the richest country in the world? And yet, those truths will have another voice from this young ladies film.
Herman,
Tell me about it! Maggie is a trooper, for real. I guess the level of danger depends on the type of project you're working on and what's all involved in getting the right footage, etc. but I'd rarely think that documentaries would bring on the type of safety concerns that, say, an action movie might. The more you know...
Arlee,
Danger seems to be part of the job description for many journalists...especially those working on the "hot topic" stories, reporting from war zones and such. Some investigative news reporters go so far above and beyond their initial call of duty that it keeps me wondering what makes them willing to put themselves in harms way for a story. Then I remember, somebodys' gotta do it; if they don't, who will? I doubt it would be me!
Beverly Diehl,
The movie (Player Hating: A Love Story) has a website where you can find more information on where to watch it. If you click on the second photo (the one with Maggie and Blood Sport), it will take you right there :)
From what I understand, it is available for online streaming as well as on DVD. I don't know if there are any upcoming live screenings at this time. If you find one, let me know and I will make an announcement on this blog to support the turnout!
Angela,
It seems that Maggie's willingness to put herself in danger was to bring light to the level of danger and risks that the people she interviewed have to deal with on a daily basis. As you mentioned, her efforts haven't gone unnoticed and were worthwhile in terms of helping more people take notice of those whose stories are rarely told.
he sad reality is that in an environment such as the projects, you have a large, or majority number of minority groups that are living in that space and nobody outside of that space (other neighborhoods, surrounding cities & states, the media, etc.) cares about whether they live or die and so the result is a bunch of people killing each other at disproportionate rates...yet, it rarely, if ever becomes a headline in the newspapers or on television...unless it serves a purpose that works to somebody else's benefit, be it politicians or radical social/political/religious organizations, etc. Thank you for joining in and sharing your thoughts on the topics presented in this introduction of Maggie's experiences making her documentary!