One-Hundred Yard Universe

Hello, we are Brett Kashmere and Solomon Turner and we’re directing a feature documentary called One-Hundred Yard Universe (OHYU). A feature-length audiovisual essay, OHYU examines football’s impact on a single Black family (Solomon’s) across multiple generations; juxtaposed with the NFL’s rise in popularity beginning in the 1960s. Through a personal exploration of the game’s emergence as an omnipresent feature in American life and culture, OHYU reveals how larger systems of structural inequality, patriarchal masculinity, and identity are at play in shaping America’s most popular pastime.

The roots of this collaboration began 15 years ago, when Solomon was a student in Brett’s Documentary Filmmaking class at Oberlin College. Back then Brett was already a fixture in the experimental film community. Brett recognized Solomon’s natural ability and encouraged him to trust his instincts. Through Brett’s class Solomon discovered how to use documentary as a tool to talk back to issues in the world that troubled him. Subsequently, Brett soon became a mentor and friend. Years later, after Solomon received an MFA from CalArts and started the production company Hello Benjamin Films , and after Brett had completed a number of projects exploring the social and political dimensions of sport, they reconnected over their shared interests in American football and adventurous filmmaking. Their long-awaited opportunity to work together has manifested in OHYU, which has received support from the Sundance Institute, Grand Central Art Center, among other notable arts organizations.

We are raising money to fund the next stage of production, which will involve a cross-country trip to the locations where Solomon and his father, respectively, played football: Albuquerque (NM), Oberlin (OH), Richmond (VA), Boston and Deerfield (MA). All donated funds will go directly to the costs of production, which has been almost entirely self-funded to this point.

Any amount you can contribute is greatly appreciated. If you aren’t able to donate at this time, please consider sharing this with other people in your community and anyone who might be interested in American football, athletics, sports films, Black life in America, and the intertwined histories of football from the Civil Rights era to today.

Thank you!

Solomon and Brett