Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest, 2017, 90 min
After a school fight lands 17-year old Daje Shelton in a court-supervised alternative high school, she's determined to turn things around and make a better future for herself in her rough St. Louis neighborhood. But focusing on school is tough as she loses multiple friends to gun violence, falls in love for the first time, and becomes pregnant with a boy, Ahkeem, just as Ferguson erupts a few miles down the road. Through Daje’s intimate coming-of-age story, For Ahkeem illuminates challenges that many Black teenagers face in America today, and witnesses the strength, resilience, and determination it takes to survive.

Q&A with co-director Landon Van Soest to follow the screening on Friday, December 8th and a Q&A with producer Iyabo Boyd will follow the screening on Saturday, December 9th.  

New York Times
"Up-close, slice-of-life documentary.”

Huffington Post
"Masterful...shows us the undeniable power of cinema.”

The Hollywood Reporter
"A quietly impactful documentary with the texture of a narrative feature.”

Jet
"For Ahkeem is THE millennial documentary on Black girlhood”

People Magazine
"The deeply personal tale of one young student as she experiences loss, love and dreams that never fade.”

Essence
"A poignant look at Black girlhood”