Trenton resident raising money for planned movie to be filmed in city

By Michelle Dryden

For NJ Advance Media

TRENTON -- Daryl Brooks, a community organizer and sometimes political candidate, has a new venture, movie making.

Brooks is producing a political thriller he helped write, "Enhanced Interrogation," which he said addresses the current issues of terrorism and torture in America. He hopes to shoot the movie in Trenton and is currently raising money, he said.

Also producing the film is screenwriter Stephen Martino, of Bloch Wall Productions.

Director Terry R. Wickham, of Manta Ray Pictures, is set to direct.

The film is about a foreign-born terrorist who finds herself legally on American soil, preparing a terrorist attack.

The FBI uncovers the plot, but does not know how, where, or by whom the attack will take place. When standard interrogation methods fail, the decision is left to the president of the United States whether to utilize Abu Ghraib-type torture techniques to obtain the information, Brooks and Martino say.

"Daryl Brooks and Stephen Martino have constructed a controversial story that is incredibly topical in our modern-day society, and asks the potent question of 'what if' our country was put in a pressure-cooker situation of the moral dilemma this story raises?," Wickham said.

Even though he suspects the movie will provoke debate, Brooks wants to make the film in Trenton because he wants to do something positive for the city by bringing excitement and business opportunities here.

n addition to asking for support from Trenton's local businesses, Brooks said, "I wanted to wake people up and to make them think about terrorism and torture in America."

Set to act are actors from Trenton such as Lance Lopez Sr., Dewane Parker, Nacone Martin, Carter Patterson, and Raina Williamson.

"In the end, we're very pleased that really talented actors in the city embraced the script and signed up for the film," states Martino.

Parker, said given his background as an experienced actor, author, and FBI agent, he was curious about the script and cannot wait to start filming.

The producers have two online fundraising pages set up, on GoFundMe