On Friday, October 7, the Circle of Hope Gallery (2007 Frankford Ave.) hosted a 15-minute screening of an upcoming documentary entitled “Quest: The Fury and the Sound.” David Barnes of “New World View” on WURD AM moderated the subsequent Q&A.

  The film chronicles the lives of the Raineys, an African-American family from North Philadelphia, over the course of the past decade. Quest, the hardworking and levelheaded Rainey patriarch, runs a music studio out of their home for young men and women trying to avoid trouble in the streets. Quest and his family endure numerous trials and tribulations while adapting to life during the Obama administration.

  Director Jonathan Olshefski is a graduate of Temple University. “Quest: The Fury and the Sound” is his first feature-length documentary. He currently teaches at Rowan University and lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Olshefski said that this project has been a very enriching experience for him.

  “This film is just a reflection of what I’ve learned from [Quest],” Olshefski said. “He creates a balance between a passion and keeping a family going. I still feel like I’ve got a lot to learn, just seeing how he kind of juggles and balances both of those. That can take all of your time and energy. It’s something I’m still working on, trying to do what I need to do to take care of my own family, but also keeping that passion and thinking about the larger community.”   

  Representatives from Philadelphia CeaseFire, an organization that aims to reduce violence particularly in more dangerous areas of the city, were also in attendance on Friday. Colwin Williams of Philadelphia CeaseFire discussed the ramifications of violence in our society and how it has affected the Raineys in particular.

  “What does it say about tomorrow when we can’t protect our children?” he said. “They’re dealing with a form of trauma that’s not really talked about.”

  In 2014, “Quest” was one of 10 films accepted into the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) Documentary Lab. The following year, Cinereach, a nonprofit film-funding organization, pledged to support the project. Earlier this year, the MacArthur Foundation awarded Director Jonathan Olshefski a documentary grant. The film’s production team also partnered with ITVS, formerly known as the Independent Television Service.

  “Quest” is currently in post-production and will be released next year. Visit their official website at questfurysound.com. •

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