No one gets left behind; these three films show us that all black lives matter

BY SELINA McCALLUM

We are not just black people, there are so many more traits, qualities, and skills that we have. Our journeys are all unique and special in their own way, so when we say black lives matter, we must include all black lives, no matter who they are, what they do, or who they love. Three black, female filmmakers showcase this in their short films.

Alison Duke, filmmaker and activist from Toronto, and Co-Founder of Oya Media Group, directed and wrote a film called Promise Me, about a young black woman living with HIV/AIDS. She has a young daughter who helps take care of her, and often misses school because of it.

The film was based on true events. Duke was following eight women who have HIV and attend a women’s support group where they speak to one another and do fun things together. That is where she met the woman who the film is based on.

The woman was also a mother who had a young daughter that cared for her, often resulting in being late or missing school completely.

“I was so surprised that the educational institution didn’t care that the woman only had a couple weeks left to live, they didn’t think that it was important for the daughter to be there for the person that she loves. As a filmmaker, storyteller and an artist, this story was kept in my heart,” said Duke.

Duke says that through these films they are trying to represent what is reality for some black folks.

“We want to build awareness and let people know of what’s going on. But it is not just building awareness in ‘look here it is, here is the horror of it all,’ but showing complexities and the layers, and the emotional impact,” said Duke.

The director says that hopefully in showing these films, it will open the doors for people to not be afraid to express themselves and their issues that they are going through, specifically about alcoholism, feeling isolated and chronic illnesses.

“Art allows for people to have deeper conversations,” says Duke.

Omolola Rachel is the director and writer of her short documentary film, YYZ, which lets audience members listen in on a conversation between her parents and herself about their journey moving from Nigeria, to Ghana to St. Lucia, and their final destination, Canada.

“I often focus on immigrant stories from black people because that is my experience. I am a black immigrant woman and I am very proud of that,” said Rachel.

When Rachel and her family first came to Canada, they moved around to a lot of cities because her parents were trying to find a good place to work and for their children to get a good education. They decided to stay in the city of Winnipeg, where there is a large Nigerian population.

“When I graduated high school, I was the only black person in my grade,” said Rachel. “I think finding who you are as a person, as a young person, is very hard combined with the fact that you’re an immigrant and you’re also black.”

The conversation that Rachel has with her parents comes from trying to find herself slowly as she becomes a young woman. The director says that it is important to have these conversations with your family, conversations that can sometimes be uncomfortable.

The director of YYZ stresses that more help for immigrant families coming to Canada should be available. Although they have lived in Canada since 2007, they were only able to buy their first home four years ago.

“It shows how hard it is to really find yourself in Canada, even though we don’t tend to have these conversations about how people immigrate or how people settle,” said Rachel.

Valerie Amponsah is the director and writer of her short documentary film called Joseph, Margaret and I, a story about her family who are immigrants from Ghana, their journey here and how that affected their mental health. The story particularly focuses on her father, his battle with alcoholism and how it affected the relationship with his children and wife.

“I remember times during childhood and adolescence during peak times during my father’s alcoholic quarrels where my mom consciously chose not to call the police or take my dad to child support cause she knew how the system would treat him as a black man,” said Amponsah. 

“Black families that suffer from domestic violence, abuse, sexual violence and other forms of trauma always have extra barriers to navigate through times of traumatic experiences”

The film opens with Amponsah in tears as she speaks to her father about how she feels. By being vulnerable on screen, she hopes that other African families will be able to open to their loved ones as well.

“There are so many secrets within black families, especially African black families. One of my intentions with this story and sharing such a vulnerable moment in my life is to inspire people and families to open up about their demons and things that bother them,” said the writer.

Amponsah says that society can help lift black families up, instead of tearing them down or a part.

“A few ways are to put more funding and money into black-led organizations that focus on healthy family relationships, put more money and funding into initiatives that focus on mental health for black people, create opportunities for black families to access professional mental health professionals ( that are black) for free or sliding scale, preferably free,” said Amponsah.

Both YYZ and Margaret, Joseph and I were funded by Oya Media Group and The Fabienne Colas Foundation. Both organizations are dedicated to the production and promotion of black film, art, and culture.

Oya Media Group provides space, mentorship, networking opportunities and workshops for black youth who are post-secondary graduates from film, television, and digital media programs.

Duke says that she is hopeful about the films that black filmmakers want to make in the future.

“I’m hopeful that black creators will be able to say what they want to make and not be questioned so much about why it is relevant. I’m hoping that the strength in numbers and the strength of their abilities to create stories will push through,” said Duke.