>>> THIS SEGMENT IS PART OF OUR

CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE ON

POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY IN

AMERICA.

FROM PRODUCER SHAQUILLE O'NEILL

COMES THE DOCUMENTARY KILLER

BEES THAT TELLS THE STORY OF A

BASKETBALL TEAM THAT DEFIES

TYPICAL STEREOTYPES OF THE

HAMPTONS, LED BY THEIR

INSPIRATIONAL COACH, THE TEAM

PREPARES TO DEFEND THEIR STATE

CHAMPIONSHIP, THEIR FIGHTING

SPIRIT HAS SINCE BECOME A SYMBOL

OF HOPE FOR A COMMUNITY

STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE, AMONG

OTHER THINGS, RACIAL

DISCRIMINATION, GENTRIFICATION,

AND ABSURD INCOME INEQUALITY IN

ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST

NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE COUNTRY.

>> THERE'S LEGITIMATELY A

SOCIOECONOMIC DIVIDE NORTH OF

THE TRACKS AND SOUTH OF THE

TRACKS.

>> THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO CLOSE

THAT SCHOOL DOWN FOR YEARS AND

YEARS.

AND YET WE STAY TRUE TO WHAT HAS

GOTTEN US HERE.

>> ONE OF THE REASONS THE SCHOOL

WILL NOT CLOSE IS THAT WE HAVE A

WINNING BASKETBALL TEAM.

>> KEEP MOVING, ALL RIGHT?

>> AND HERE WITH MORE NOW ABOUT

THE FILM IS FORMER BRIDGE

HAMPTON BASKETBALL COACH CARL

JOHNSON, AND PRODUCERS AND

DIRECTORS BEN AND ORSON

CUMMINGS.

GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO ALL OF

YOU.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> IT'S A GREAT FILM.

I WATCHED IT LAST NIGHT.

I'M A FORMER ATHLETE, SO I LOVE

THE SPORTS FILMS.

THIS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A

SPORTS FILM, SO MUCH MORE THAN A

BASKETBALL FILM.

LET ME ASK YOU FIRST, YOU GUYS

HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN

YOUR FILMAKING CAREERS, WHAT

DREW YOU TO THIS?

>> WE GREW UP IN BRIDGE HAMPTON,

WENT THERE, WENT THROUGH THE

BASKETBALL PROGRAM.

A COUPLE SUMMERS AGO, THE WAY I

REMEMBER IT, I GOT A FACEBOOK

MESSAGE FROM COACH CARL AND A

CLASSMATE OF MINE, SAYING YOU

GUYS ARE FILM MAKERS, YOU KNOW

ALL ABOUT THE BEES.

THINGS ARE CHANGING SWIFTLY OUT

HERE.

THIS CULTURE MAY NOT BE AROUND

MUCH LONGER, IF YOU GUYS ARE

INTERESTED, IT'S BEST DO IT

SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

>> THEN WHAT DID YOU DO?

HERE'S AN IDEA.

I'M SURE YOU'RE GIVEN ALL SORTS

OF IDEAS FROM ALL SORTS OF

SOURCES REGULARLY DOING WHAT YOU

DO.

WHAT WAS THE NEXT STEP?

>> WE ONLY MADE NARRATIVE

FEATURES BEFORE, HADN'T DONE A

DOCUMENTARY.

WE WERE A LITTLE CAUTIOUS, WE'D

HEARD THE STORIES OF HOOP

DREAMS, SOMEONE WENT IN AND I'LL

MAKE A MOVIE, TEN YEARS LATER

YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.

WE HAD COFFEE MEETINGS, CALLED A

FEW FRIENDS, WENT FOR COFFEE,

WE'RE THINKING OF TELLING THIS

STORY AND TOLD THEM WHAT IT WAS

ABOUT.

EVERYONE WE SPOKE SO SAID YOU

HAVE TO DO THAT, TOO GOOD A

STORY.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE REACTION,

NEVER GOT A REACTION LIKE THAT.

>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW

DIFFERENT THIS PLACE IS NOW FROM

WHEN YOU WERE THERE.

BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, CARL, LET

ME ASK YOU, SO WHEN YOU WERE

FIRST APPROACHED ABOUT THE IDEA

OF DOING A FILM ABOUT NOT JUST

YOUR TEAM, BUT THE SCHOOL, THE

COMMUNITY, WHAT WAS YOUR VERY

FIRST REACTION TO IT?

>> SOMEWHAT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT

IT BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE ASKING THE

KIDS TO OPEN UP THEIR PERSONAL

LIFE.

YOU'RE ASKING THE SCHOOL TO OPEN

UP THEIR PERSONAL LIFE.

AND SOME PEOPLE JUST --

>> ASKING YOU TO OPEN UP YOUR

PERSONAL LIFE.

>> YES, DEFINITELY, TO OPEN UP

MY PERSONAL LIFE AND WHERE DO WE

GO FROM THERE, AND DO I FEEL

COMFORTABLE ABOUT THAT?

SOME KIDS ARE GOING THROUGH

THEIR SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH

SCHOOL, THE PRESSURE OF TRYING

TO DEFEND THE STATE TITLE, AND

ALSO ALL THE OTHER KIND OF

THINGS THAT SOME KIDS WEREN'T

COMFORTABLE ABOUT OPENING UP.

SO AT FIRST I WAS REAL

APPREHENSIVE.

BUT THEN AGAIN, THERE'S A STORY

TO BE TOLD AND IT SHOULD BE

TOLD.

>> HOW DID YOU GET -- BECAUSE

I'M SURE YOU TALK ABOUT HOOP

DREAMS, THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT

SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES OUT THERE.

BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE -- FOCUS

REALLY ON THE SPORT ITSELF AND

THE GAMES AND THE QUEST FOR A

CHAMPIONSHIP.

BUT THIS BECAME SO MUCH MORE.

DID YOU KNOW GOING INTO IT THAT

THIS WAS GOING TO BECOME WHAT IT

ULTIMATELY BECAME?

>> YES.

THAT WAS -- WE WENT INTO THE

KITCHEN IN BRIDGE HAMPTON,

WAITING FOR CARL FOR THE FIRST

TIME, WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS

WHAT WE WERE -- WHAT WE WERE UP

TO, AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL,

WE'RE GOING TO ASK CARL, IS IT

OKAY IF WE EXAMINE A WHOLE BUNCH

OF THESE OTHER ISSUES, HOW DO

YOU THINK REALLY REACT?

WE POSED THE QUESTION TO CARL,

AND HE'S LIKE, I KIND OF FIGURED

THAT WAS THE POINT.

>> SO GOING INTO IT, THERE ARE A

COUPLE THINGS I'M STRUCK BY.

ONE IS, I WENT TO -- WE WERE

TALKING ABOUT THIS BEFORE.

I WENT TO A TINY HIGH SCHOOL, 90

SOME KIDS IN MY SENIOR CLASS.

WE HAD A VERY PROUD ATHLETIC

TRADITION.

IT WAS SO SMALL, AND THERE WERE

A LOT OF TALKS ABOUT CLOSING IT

UP, MERGING WITH SOMEBODY ELSE.

THERE'S BEEN A HISTORY OF THAT

HERE.

HOW DIFFERENT IS THE SCHOOL AND

THE COMMUNITY NOW FROM WHEN YOU

GUYS WERE THERE AS STUDENTS?

>> WELL, IT WAS MORE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PREDOMINANTLY

WHEN WE GREW UP THERE.

AND I THINK SINCE IT'S

DEFINITELY --

>> BECOME A LITTLE MORE DIVERSE.

WE HAVE OUR -- WE HAVE LATINOS,

WHITES AND BLACKS.

IT'S BECOME A LOT DIFFERENT.

>> WHY HAS IT CHANGED, DO YOU

THINK?

>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR SCHOOL

REALLY WAS -- PEOPLE PRE-JUDGED

IT BEFORE THEY EVEN DECIDED TO

STEP IN TO COME SEE THE SCHOOL.

THERE WAS ALL THESE LITTLE

RUMORS SAY, OH, IT'S THIS, IT'S

THAT.

WHEN THEY GET THERE, THEY FIND

OUT, OH, THIS IS A REALLY NICE

SCHOOL.

BASICALLY WITH A PUBLIC SCHOOL

EDUCATION, YOU GET THE PRIVATE

SCHOOL.

>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LOOKING

SCHOOL.

PEOPLE WILL SEE THIS WHEN THEY

DO IT, YOU AS FILM MAKERS, I'M

SURE, APPRECIATED THAT, THE

VISUAL QUALITIES.

>> ONE THING, TOUCHING ON THE

CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS.

IT'S REALLY POSITIVE, A PERFECT

EXAMPLE OF AMERICA FUNCTIONING

WELL, WHITE AND BLACK AND LATIN

ALL TOGETHER.

PEOPLE GETTING ALONG.

IT ALSO REFLECTS THE

GENTRIFICATION, THE TURNPIKE

WHERE AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE

LIVED A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE

LEAVING, IT'S THE HAMPTONS,

THEY'LL SELL, AND THEN PUT UP A

MANSION, A SPECULATIVE REAL

ESTATE PROPERTY.

>> WHEN YOU WATCH THIS, THE

WONDERFUL JOB YOU DID SORT OF

INTERCUTING, YOU KNOW, THE

HAMPTONS AND THE GREAT WEALTH OF

THE HAMPTONS AND THE

OSTENTATIOUS LIFESTYLE OF THE

HAMPTONS, HERE ARE SOME GUYS

HARD WORKING, KIDS ON A

BASKETBALL TEAM, AND IT'S ALMOST

HARD TO IMAGINE THAT IT'S --

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME

TOWN GOING ON HERE.

>> YEAH, BASICALLY -- YEAH, IT'S

JUST --

>> HOW DO THE KIDS HANDLE THAT?

>> ONE DAY THERE'S $250 MILLION

MANSION ON THE BEACH.

AS THE CROW FLIES, YOU KNOW, 30

SECONDS AWAY THERE'S A KID ON

THE TEAM BEING EVICTED FROM HIS

HOUSE, FROM THIS LITTLE HOUSE ON

THE TURNPIKE.

AND IT'S HARD TO FATHOM.

>> IT'S A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES

THAT THE COUNTRY IS FACING, THE

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE MIDDLE

CLASS, BUT IN THE HAMPTONS IT IS

SO EXTREME, SO EXTREME.

>> BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN SOME

GENTRIFICATION SITUATIONS WHERE

IT'S GETTING BETTER, A LITTLE

BETTER, AS IT GETS A LITTLE

BETTER IT MAKES THE QUALITY OF

THE EDUCATION A LITTLE BETTER,

PUT MORE MONEY INTO IT, BUT HERE

IT'S LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

WORLD.

>> WELL, YOU DO HAVE THOSE

MANSIONS, THOSE $14 MANSIONS $20

MILLION MANSIONS.

PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE ARE ONLY

THERE FOR THE SUMMER.

THEIR KIDS DON'T GO TO SCHOOL

THERE YEAR ROUND.

>> I DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP TOO

MUCH OF THIS.

I WANT PEOPLE TO WATCH IT.

IT IS WONDERFUL.

WHAT DO KIDS THINK ABOUT THE

IDEA OF BEING FEATURED IN A

FILM, AND THEN WHAT DID THEY

THINK ABOUT IT WHEN THEY SAW IT

AFTERWARDS?

>> THEY REALLY LOVED THE MOVIE.

THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT IT, YOU

KNOW, AND I ALWAYS TELL THEM,

YOU KNOW, DON'T LET ANYONE TELL

YOU WHAT TO THINK.

YOU GO THERE AND JUDGE IT FOR

YOURSELF.

WHATEVER YOU FEEL, STICK WITH

IT.

DON'T EVER TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BE

PERSUADED LIKE, SAY, OH, INSIDE

YOU WOULD LIKE IT, OUTSIDE,

SOMEONE TELL YOU, NO, I DON'T

LIKE IT.

I GOT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM ALL

THE KIDS THAT WERE FEATURED IN

THE FILM.

SO I WAS VERY PLEASED.

>> LAST QUESTION FOR YOU, WE

TALKED ABOUT SHAQUILLE O'NEILL'S

INVOLVEMENT IN THIS.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

>> WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE

A GREAT EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NAMES

GLEN FURMAN WHO HAS A FOUNDATION

CALLED THE FLAG ART FOUNDATION

BASED IN NEW YORK AND HE HAD

SHAQUILLE O'NEILL, WHO WE GOT TO

MEET, CURATE A SHOW, SO WE

BECAME FRIENDS WITH HIM THERE,

SHAQ GOES BY SHAQASSO.

WE SHOWED HIM AN EARLY -- HE

SHOWED IT TO SHAQ, AND HE WATCD

IT AND SIGNED UP RIGHT AWAY.

HE'S BEEN A TERRIFIC HELP.

>> NOT JUST HIS PHYSICAL

PRESENCE, BUT JUST WHO HE IS AND

WHERE HE COMES FROM.

>> YEAH, BUT THAT'S FUNNY, WE

WERE -- SHAQ HAD A CONVERSATION,

AND HE'S LIKE, COACH, AND HE

CALLED ME COACH, HE'S LIKE I

CAME FROM A SCHOOL I GRADUATED

WITH 39 KIDS IN MY CLASS.

SO HE KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE

TO BE IN A SMALL SCHOOL AND NOT

TO -- AND TO HAVE THAT KIND OF

PRIDE, THAT SENSE OF PRIDE, LIKE

THAT BURNING FEELING INSIDE, I

DON'T CARE WHO WE GO UP AGAINST,

WE'RE GOING TO WIN.

HE HAS THAT BURNING.

THAT'S CAUSED HIM TO BE THE

SUCCESS HE'S BEEN AS WELL.

>> IT'S A GREAT JOB OF STORY

TELLING.

YOU KNOW AS STORY TELLERS YOU

NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE, YOU'RE

TELLING THEIR STORIES.

AND COACH, YOU KNOW, A WONDERFUL

ROLE IN THE LIVES OF THESE KIDS.

SO IT'S GOING TO JOIN THAT

PANTHEON OF REALLY GOOD

SPORTS/MUCH MORE STORIES.

YOU SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF WHAT

YOU DID HERE.

>> THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> IT WAS A DELIGHT AND FUN TO

WATCH, BY THE WAY.

A REMINDER, FOR MORE INFORMATION

ON WHERE YOU CAN WATCH "KILLER

BEES," VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

METROFOCUS.ORG.