In Two Distant Strangers, “cartoonist Carter James’ repeated attempts to get home to his dog are thwarted by a recurring deadly encounter that forces him to re-live the same awful day over and over again.”

The short was written by Travon Free, who co-directed with Martin Desmond Roe, the film stars Joey Bada$$, Andrew Howard and Zaria. Its group of executive producers and investor includes Diddy, Kevin Durant, Adam McKay, Marti Noxon and Damon Lindelof.

In a prior interview with Shadow and Act, Free said, “The approach here was to show how Black people do mundane things like go home to our dogs, but [we] are also constantly impeded by police and white people acting as if they are the police. It was to stress the idea that no matter what we do, there are people with badges and guns who wake up every day hoping to take someone out and it’s usually one of us.”

On filming during the pandemic and the protests of this past summer, he added, “It did because it spoke to the urgency of getting this movie out into the world. We were experiencing a cultural moment and we met that moment head-on with our art. Everyone involved took a risk making this film because they felt it was important for this story to be told and now it’s getting the recognition it deserves.”

Two Distant Strangers is currently streaming on Netflix.