Harmony Run

16 Oct Harmony Run

Harmony Run is a 35mm vignette of film about the racially and socially diverse basketball life on the West Coast. A habitual sunny Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Park exhibits a high intensity, outdoor basketball game.

Introduce comradeship, intensity and racial diversity through the voice of MARVIN (40’s), a harmless homeless character who frequents the park. He observes from the sidelines articulating about love, Vietnam, basketball, black power… just about anything that could get anybody’s attention.

Playing in the game are main characters, MEYER (Caucasian, 30’s), and REGGIE (African-American, 30’s). Reggie is loud, athletic, charismatic, and in the face of his mild-mannered, underdog opponent, Meyer.

Meanwhile on the sidelines, players congregate for next game. Sideline trash-talker ANTONIO (African-American, 20’s) controls the next game while newcomer SHORTY (Caucasian, 20’s) proceeds to get bumped from game to game. Also meet the silent, colorful and well-respected OLD SCHOOL (African-American, old).

All of these players are part of a core of locals who day-in and day-out show up to forget about lost dreams, unemployment and life in general. As any regular would attest, these aren’t the publicized Venice courts, but are unique and popular in their own way. The smack talk isn’t as out of control, but definitely customary. The games feature not only athletic brilliance, but also fundamentals the Venice troops lack. A team that works together, albeit, less talent, can beat any loaded squad on any given day of the week. In this particular contest Reggie’s team is stacked with better players (all African-American), however, Meyer’s team, a racially diverse mix of Asian, Mexican, Caucasian and African-American (as well as less talented), rallies to overcome Reggie’s “trash talk” with “team” play.

After several threatening encounters between Reggie and Meyer on the court, off the court, the two are surprisingly best of friends.

At the end of the day, the Lincoln Park faithful share daily, weekly and ultimately life-long bonds. Close out as we started out… through the voice of the loquacious, yet profound Marvin.

It’s all Harmony Running at its best.