"Maybe there was a real Omar..."
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The Story
Have you seen The Wire on HBO? Do you remember Omar and how likeable he was? Well Omar wasn't entirely made up. David Simon, creator of The Wire, is on the record crediting some actual Baltimore gangsters from the 1980s and 90s as inspiring Omar. One of those men was named Anthony Hollie.
Long story short, Hollie went into the witness protection program, where he was given a new name and identity as Lovell Love, and he turned his life around. At his peak, Lovell led a nationally acclaimed inner city poetry group, called the Positive Peer Posse, that raised AIDS awareness in the inner city, won the governor's award and even performed for Maya Angelou. All of this while battling a drug addiction that began at age 13.
We want to tell the long version of this story: to dive in to what Anthony Hollie's criminal reputation was really like; to explore his insistence on preserving his family despite being in witness protection; to joining him on one of the most gripping journeys of atonement imagineable. The spectrum of this man's influence is too great not to be shared; from inspiring Emmy-caliber tv characters to keeping at-risk inner city teens from contracting AIDS.
As important as it is to watch all five seasons of The Wire to truly understand the interconnectedness of all the agencies of the city of Baltimore, it’s equally important to include people from as many different corners of Lovell Love’s life to get a full understanding of who he was as a person.
Donating to this fund will help us make the rest of this film. Interviewees are scattered from Baltimore to Los Angeles and getting around with film equipment isn’t cheap. When there is a new advancement or big update, we go to our donors first.
Not only does this story add context to an already awesome tv show, The Wire, but it also explores the boundaries of the human condition unlike ever before. Please join us on this extraordinary journey. No amount is too small.
Have you seen The Wire on HBO? Do you remember Omar and how likeable he was? Well Omar wasn't entirely made up. David Simon, creator of The Wire, is on the record crediting some actual Baltimore gangsters from the 1980s and 90s as inspiring Omar. One of those men was named Anthony Hollie.
Long story short, Hollie went into the witness protection program, where he was given a new name and identity as Lovell Love, and he turned his life around. At his peak, Lovell led a nationally acclaimed inner city poetry group, called the Positive Peer Posse, that raised AIDS awareness in the inner city, won the governor's award and even performed for Maya Angelou. All of this while battling a drug addiction that began at age 13.
We want to tell the long version of this story: to dive in to what Anthony Hollie's criminal reputation was really like; to explore his insistence on preserving his family despite being in witness protection; to joining him on one of the most gripping journeys of atonement imagineable. The spectrum of this man's influence is too great not to be shared; from inspiring Emmy-caliber tv characters to keeping at-risk inner city teens from contracting AIDS.
As important as it is to watch all five seasons of The Wire to truly understand the interconnectedness of all the agencies of the city of Baltimore, it’s equally important to include people from as many different corners of Lovell Love’s life to get a full understanding of who he was as a person.
Donating to this fund will help us make the rest of this film. Interviewees are scattered from Baltimore to Los Angeles and getting around with film equipment isn’t cheap. When there is a new advancement or big update, we go to our donors first.
Not only does this story add context to an already awesome tv show, The Wire, but it also explores the boundaries of the human condition unlike ever before. Please join us on this extraordinary journey. No amount is too small.
Organizer
Kyle KayBee Battle
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA