Filmmaker explores violence in Wilmington

Wilmington filmmaker and rap artist Nakia Hamilton hates hearing the same old stories — news reports that someone else from his community is dead and another is behind bars.

“In the black community we have a problem where we do things that cause a problem, then when that problem happens we mourn and try and change our lives, but then a month later we’re back to doing the same things,” Hamilton said.

One particular story from December, 2002 struck a nerve. Hamilton’s friend and fellow musician Roncin Sanders was murdered by Demond Wells — also known as hip hop radio DJ Kysheem.

Hamilton explores the incident in his latest film “Gone but not Forgotten,” which premiered tonight at Union Missionary Baptist Church at 6pm in Wilmington.

“As far as Kysheem I was like, that just didn’t sound like him,” Hamilton said, reflecting on the incident. “And Ronson, he’s not the kind of guy someone would do that to. You just wonder like what really happened.”

In the film, Hamilton interviews Sanders’ parents, Wilmington District Attorney John David and DJ Kysheem to help put the tragic incident in perspective. He says Kysheem and Ronson had a heated argument and Kysheem took it too far.

“(Kysheem) basically explained, you know what made him pull the trigger and he said the day that it happened it’s like his whole world stopped,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton says the film denounces violence and encourages viewers to take up religion, which he says helped him stay out of trouble.

“I hope this documentary encourages so and so not to kill so and so, not just so they can live to see another day but to buy people just enough time to get they soul right with god,” said Hamilton.

“Gone but not Forgotten” is the first of a five-part series that examines violence in our area.