This short from Station Film director Seyi Peter-Thomas debuted recently as part of the Motionpoems Film Series at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Entitled How Do You Raise A Black Child?, this pensive, powerful, lyrical short based on the poem by Cortney Lamar Charleston, observes a mother and son in their daily rhythms under circumstances specific to young black lads becoming men in America.
And while the film leaves the viewer questioning the mother’s power in being able to change her son’s fate, Peter-Thomas portrays their story in a thoughtful, honest way as a message to compel change.
“The central question that the poem asks is so resonant and important to me both as a black man and a parent of young kids,” Peter-Thomas said. “Unfortunately, it’s a question that feels as urgent today as it did 60 years ago. It felt very important not to be too literal or closed ended with my interpretation. A poem is a complete work in and of itself. So, why make a film of it unless you can find a way to bring a new level of meaning and ask new questions? Both the poem and the film are essentially a series of commonplace but ultimately false solutions to the problem. I tried to challenge myself to find images that added a layer of meaning and brought more ambiguity to the words. The point is to take away the right questions as opposed to the right answers.”
Motionpoems is making a name for top-drawer experimental work using poems as scripts, taking the publishing and film world by storm, and facilitating extraordinary work. Peter-Thomas is an alum of SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase, having earned inclusion in that lineup back in 2010.
CreditsProduction Station Film Seyi Peter-Thomas, director; Caroline Gibney, exec producer; Jeffrey Kim, DP. Editorial Gabriel de la Mora (Crew Cuts), editor.
Top Spot of the Week: iPhone 16, Director David Shane “Write Smarter” With Apple Intelligence
Created by Apple’s in-house agency and directed by David Shane of production company O Positive, this commercial is one of two which continues the Apple Intelligence campaign for the iPhone 16.
Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that can make users look, feel and be smarter. In the case of this “Write smarter” ad, we meet an office worker who leverages Apple Intelligence on his iPhone 16 Pro to dramatically improve his barely literate email to one that is professional, concise and has a measure of eloquence--much to the surprise and amazement of his boss.
This slice of office life highlights the value of key Apple Intelligence upgrades, including Writing Tools which work wonders with the quality of how one communicates and connects with others.
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