Invisible Lines

How many times have you heard someone offhandedly say, “Milwaukee is the most segregated city in America?” Dozens? Hundreds?

It’s an unfortunate reputation that has been reinforced, rewritten and repeated so often that it has become self-fulfilling, as if nothing could ever change in the metro Milwaukee area. But there is an important nuance those remarks often miss: What does segregation feel like?

That question is the focus of INVISIBLE LINES, a film from Radio Milwaukee. In the feature-length documentary, 10 Milwaukee residents of color share their personal stories of segregation, racism and prejudice. No narrator. No script. Just conversations between people. The all-Milwaukee cast include:

• High school senior Amelia
• MMilwaukee’s unofficial Black Mayor, Reuben Harpole
• Biracial brothers and working artists Darren and Vedale
• Mother and daughter Dianné and Luz, who offer a Spanish-language chapter to the film
• Community activists Vaun and LaToya, who discuss gun violence and colorism
• Close friends Jeanette and Selma, who both identify as queer and talk about the role of chosen family in the LGBTQ community

Each of the film’s chapters also integrates a performance by a Milwaukee artist. Through spoken word, visual art, dance and music, they showcase the richness in Milwaukee’s creative community.
Invisible Lines invites viewers to experience conversations they would not ordinarily hear, and encourages the audience to do one thing not often done in this increasingly noisy world: listen.

Invisible Lines is made possible by generous support from: