Short film “Sons of Toledo” Tells Emotional Tale - Toledo City Paper

Combining striking local skyline and riverfront views with a moving story on the effect of violence in our urban neighborhoods, “Sons of Toledo,” which debuted at the Toledo Arts’ Commission’s Momentum Festival in September, is testament to another powerful story— the community’s involvement in the production.

Intersection of Art and Health
“The story, born of conversations that occurred during the Toledo Museum of Art/ProMedica ‘Art of the Cut’ event in 2020,” explains Matt Foss, producer and co-writer of the film.

Local Black barbers demonstrated their artistic abilities with 16 haircuts inspired by styles from the Museum’s art collection. “We were backstage listening to the experiences of the barbers and their central role here in our community and we talked about what would be the best way to tell this story,” Foss said.

ProMedica’s Men’s Health & Wellness at the Barbershop initiative, formed in 2018 to address the health inequities of Black men in Lucas County, established programs in eight barbershops to provide health screenings. “But as we grew to know each other, it expanded into wellness through the arts, CPR programs and discussions about the mental health needs of the community,” said Robin Charney, community liaison with the ProMedica Cancer Institute.

“Matt talked to me over a year ago about the barbershop community in Toledo, and last March he wrote a rough draft of the film,” said Chicago-based Monty Cole, director and co-writer of “Sons of Toledo.” “Since then, getting it produced has been a whirlwind.”

Foss spent a good deal of time at DaShop, an East Broadway barbershop featured in the film. Foss talked to the barbers and their customers, learning about the community and getting a better sense of the critical role they play in their neighborhoods. “At every step, we wanted to create a process where the core stakeholders – in this case the barbers – were in charge of the project,” Foss said.

A central element of the film came from DaShop barber Shinaul Jones’ experience as a youth football coach. “I had been coaching one of the kids who later (at age 18) became a victim of gun violence,” Jones said. “His aunt asked me to cut his hair for the funeral. His family really trusted me, and I gave him the best haircut ever.”

Community outpouring
“Sons of Toledo” is a fictional story built around an early morning phone call to a Toledo barber, giving him the news that his brother was killed. We follow the barber through the obstacles of his day before he goes to the funeral home that night to give his brother a final cut.

Toledo’s Madhouse studio filmed the story in six days in east Toledo and downtown neighborhoods, using a cast of “real people,” according to Cole. “These were better performances than when I work with actors,” he said. “And I was impressed with how everyone in Toledo opened their doors in every single way. I’ve never seen this happen anywhere before.”

The film debuted to widespread praise on Sept. 16 as part of the Momentum Festival. “It was overwhelming to me when people gave us a standing ovation,” said Marcus Temple, who had the lead role in the film. “I was grateful for the feedback from everyone. Director Cole said he felt the film’s biggest theme was about grief. “As Black men we have to try to push through our grief,” he said. “What moves me about this story is the love at the center of it.”

“Maybe this film can be a stepping stone for what needs to be done in the community,” said Temple. “Today, barbershops are the preachers for our communities. We’re central to several schools here, and we’ve got their ears, for right or wrong. It’s our generation’s obligation to pick up the ball and fix things in our community.”

Next steps
Cole and Foss are reworking parts of the film, including adding an original score by Andrew Dost, a member of the indie band Fun. They plan to submit it to film festivals around the world and have already submitted it to Sundance. At DaShop, they plan to preview the reworked film in their own neighborhood. They plan to have a trailer to release to the public this fall.

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