Experiencing Interruptions?

The Right To Protect

A Black man risks his freedom to protect his son's safety against racist looters during a black lives matter demonstration.

  • Cherrelle e'Lan
    Director
    DreamTIcket, HeadHunters, Black In The Future
  • Cherrelle e'Lan
    Writer
    DreamTicket, HeadHunters, Black In The Future, Seoul, U.S.A.
  • Lady e'Lan Films
    Producer
    DreamTicket, HeadHunters, Black In The Future
  • Cherrelle e'Lan
    Key Cast
    "Lorrell"
    Criminal Minds, Black In The Future, HeadHunters, DreamTicket
  • Marcus Hamm
    Key Cast
    "Reuben"
    Black In The Future, DreamTicket, Black In The Future
  • Ingrid Moss
    Key Cast
    "Officer Roberts"
    Black In The Future
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, BlackLivesMatter, Inspiration
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 23 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Cherrelle e'Lan

Pitching consumer investigative ideas and assisting Producers for PrimeTime and 20/20 News Magazines inspired Cherrelle éLan to expand her career in storytelling. Also, while working with ABC's News team during the 9/11 Tragedy, Cherrelle received a Peabody Award for her participation in conducting interviews of heroes.

Cherrelle’s experiences with ABC News coupled with having exposure to prime time shows like CBS' Criminal Minds and HBO's Enlightened and with movies like Gina Prince Bythewood’s Beyond The Lights, and Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, inspire her to write and direct her indie projects for Lady éLan Films.

With hopes of inspiring future filmmakers, after completing her educational career in Literary Arts and Film with a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude from Howard University and a Master's Degree from The Newhouse School of Communications, Syracuse University, Cherrelle returned to her High School alma-mater The Duke Ellington School of the Arts High School and initiated the first High School Media Day. With her newly formed non-profit éLan Statistics, she continues to educate and inspire at risk youth with her short films.

Cherrelle is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The Right to Protect is a special project to me. Initially, I was greatly affected by the unjustified murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Participating in a peaceful demonstration was something the activist in me had to do. And when news broke out about another unarmed Black man, Rayshard Brooks murdered, emergence of the storyteller in me came alive. With all the mainstream Media's negative backlash peaceful protesters endure, I felt that the truth of a Black man's struggle to be heard needed to be told. Naturally having shot footage of my participation, instinctively I wrote a script based on my experience during the protests. The Right to Protect relays a message I hope counters mainstream media's propaganda against peaceful protesters, all the while lifting the voice of Black men.