Imagine you’re a 17-year-old latch-key kid raised by a single mom and you’re in charge of taking care of your little brother who has cerebral palsy. One day he drowns in the tub on your watch and your mom blames you. And it lives in you, turning a knife in your heart, every day. You can’t quell the images of water overflowing from the tub and seeping through the bottom crack of the bathroom door. Every time you close your eyes, the placid expression of a drowned boy flashes in your mind.
That is the plight of Kadir (Asante Blackk) in the movie “Story Ave” (2023), created, directed and co-written by Bronx native Aristotle Torres.
“Story Ave” is about loss, finding oneself, making decisions, taking accountability and controlling your own destiny. It follows Kadir, a mild-mannered young man who likes school and art — but the streets have a hold of him. All he wants is to be part of the graffiti crew OTL, Outside the Lines. Yet, when he is asked to rob someone at gunpoint by the crew leader SKEMES (Melvin Gregg) as an initiation, Kadir finds himself at a crossroads.
Riding the train at night, looking for his target, he meets Luis (Luis Guzmán), a widowed MTA worker with simple pleasures and a mysterious past. Kadir sticks him up on the platform of Story Ave – a fictitious train station along the 6 line, but a real avenue in the Bronx – where Kadir lives and where the story takes a turn.
Luis gives Kadir his wallet and his coat, then offers to buy him a meal and give him enough cash to find a place to sleep for the night. Since choosing a life of crime, Kadir is not welcome at home. Luis takes Kadir to the Caridad Restaurant, located at 1594 Westchester Ave., where several scenes of the movie are filmed and where Kadir finds clarity and comfort. The restaurant recently received a $10,000 grant from DoorDash as part of the company’s Accelarator for Local Restaurants program.
Unlike many movies that build sets to achieve authenticity, Torres instead utilizes the raw landscape of the Bronx. The borough is a main character and the 6 train, a supporting role.
Kadir ends up moving into Luis’ home where he is cared for and fed, until Luis dies and Kadir must find his way again.
“I’ve never robbed anyone before at gunpoint,” Torres told the Bronx Times of the inspiration for the script. “But I am definitely familiar with feeling alone. Of what it feels like to want to aspire for something greater than what’s in front of you.”
Torres grew up in Soundview from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s and always had his sights on greater things. He attended St. John’s University where he managed the music career of his college buddy, J. Cole. Torres then interned at Def Jam Recordings while Jay-Z was president and was instrumental in introducing the two famous rappers. Torres moved on to music video production for J. Cole and the rest is history.
“Story Ave” is Torres’ first feature film which made it to the Sundance Labs and had its world premiere at South by Southwest, known as SWSW, this year – an important film festival that takes place in Austin, Texas every March.
“Story Ave” hits theaters on Oct. 6, but you can get a sneak peek this Tuesday night at the Van Cortlandt Park Parade Grounds. The screening, sponsored by Rooftop Films, will kick off with a DJ set by Torres himself at 7:30 p.m., before the movie starts at 8:45 p.m. Seating is provided, but you must RSVP or bring your own chair. A Q&A with Torres and the movie’s producer, Lizzie Shapiro will follow.
Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
