This striking short documentary uses voicemails to celebrate Michael Brown’s 28th birthday

On 9 August 2014, the 18-year-old teenager Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Missouri. In one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in recent American history, the police officer evaded prison despite clear, undenibale evidence that the murder was yet another instance of racially motivated police violence. A new documentary from the studio Even/Odd focuses on the life of Michael. Importantly, it “shifts the narrative” away from Michael’s death, and instead celebrates what would have been his 28th birthday.

1-800 Happy Birthday is an online voicemail, volunteer-based project that honours the lives of Black and Brown victims of police killings and systemic racism. On its website, you can leave a voicemail to a victim on their birthday, which – once screened – will be shared with families, and some will be added to the public gallery on each individual’s memorial page. “The goal of the work we do at 1-800 Happy Birthday is to not just focus on the tragedy, because that only offers us a limited view into the individual’s life,” says BJ McBride, curatorial fellow at 1-800 Happy Birthday. “When we expand our view to the celebration of [Michael’s birthday], we get an opportunity to celebrate a lifetime of memories and start to get a more comprehensive view of what MikeMike meant to his mother, his family, his community and the world.”

The short documentary focuses on a physical manifestation of the 1-800 Happy Birthday project. It sees Michael’s family and loved ones entering a physical phone booth – emblazoned with his name – and leaving messages, singing Happy Birthday, discussing memories, restating their plight for justice, and signing off with nicknames and words of affection. But the event is also a party organised by Michael’s mother, Lezley McSpadden, with the aim of celebrating his life and legacy, with balloons, dancing and revelry. Henry Kinder, an editor and producer at Even/Odd says that the main creative aim was to let the voicemails take centre stage. “We knew that all of the heart, grief, hope and emotion is already in those messages. You can clearly hear the impact that Mike’s life had on the people around him,” Henry says. “Our goal on the shoot day was simply to capture the emotional truth of the event as faithfully as we could.”

The vast majority of the film is in black-and-white – it suits the tone in its solemnity, but also in the way it captures the raw beauty and emotion of the event. But, importantly, it was a further method to “foreground the voices”, says Henry. “Each stylistic choice; from the cinematography, to the pacing, sound and colour was guided by an intention of centring these voices of people who loved MikeMike.” But, at one point in the film, the tones shift to colour to show attendees make their way outside at sunset, as Michael’s mother releases a single dove from a box, and the change in style accentuates the simultaneous power and serenity of the scene. “When the film goes from black-and-white to colour – it’s a moment that was a real departure in the course of the party,” says Henry. “Stepping outside to watch this very surreal, majestic moment felt like a different world than what was happening in the event space and at the phone booth.”

The many individuals behind Happy Birthday MikeMike hope the film will encourage dialogue. “Ten years is a significant amount of time and I think so often we can forget that many of these families are still fighting for justice,” says BJ. “Our hope is that the film sparks a conversation. One that leads to change, whether that be policy change or changing the system that allows rogue cops to not be held accountable for their actions.” But, “more than anything” they simply want to show the true MikeMike, and how loved he was.