10-7 for Life

10-7 for Life

10-7 for Life
| 56 min
Free
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10–7 for Life is a funny, raw and occasionally violent chronicle of the last two weeks of Carol Banks's career as a cop in Parkdale, Toronto. Exploring the contrasts and absurdities of patrolling the streets, the film looks at everything from the now-almost-routine gang shootings to a colleague's shocking murder, while also capturing what Banks describes as "babysitting" – officers trying to help people who can't look after themselves. Filmed by Carol's sister, Cindy Banks, this film offers a rare inside look at a police force struggling to cope with an increasingly violent city, and an intimate portrait of one burnt-out cop who has to get out for her own peace of mind.

This film deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised

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10-7 for Life, Cynthia Banks, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • director
    Cynthia Banks
  • producer
    Cynthia Banks
  • executive producer
    Paul Caulfield
    Don Haig
  • associate producer
    Kenneth Hirsch
  • camera
    Cynthia Banks
    Joseph Sutherland
  • sound
    Cynthia Banks
    Joseph Sutherland
  • editing
    Deborah Palloway
  • sound editing
    Paul Demers
  • re-recording
    Louis Hone
  • music
    Richard Gozdzialski
 See also
Law and Crime
Women - Portraits
All subjects
Add a new comment
  • Bob3

    Neo documentary is supposed to have a personal POV. With a few exceptions, Herzog does this well; appending a sort of magic realism to his subject matter. In this documentary, the filmmaker is unable to get any emotional distance from her subject. Structurally, a centripetal symmetry validates the police-sister’s POV, making the contrapuntal police officers look like fools. Filmed with greater distance, the police-sister would have looked more dangerous, which would have been unacceptable to the filmmaker-sister. Generally, I would say that when you ascribe characteristics to ‘other people’ they represent insecurities you find in your own character. The police-sister is obviously burned-out, at one point prosecuting a suspect on the street. This is the kind of dangerous situation taking place here in the US where young black males are being prosecuted, judged, and executed by confused police officers. There is a startling scene at the end of the film where the police friends huddle in a darkened public space and drink beer. A vehicle approaches; they ask that the camera light be turned off…..they are afraid it might be a cop. #####

    Bob3, 2 Jan 2016
  • Tonkadriver

    Wow! What a cow making fun of the person who's dog got hit by a car.

    Tonkadriver, 24 Feb 2011
  • ronbar

    well done ! thank you to carol banks for your service.glad you got out alive.

    ronbar, 22 Apr 2010

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