Black Boy Joy

“Complex character, simple story” has always been my mantra. So, when I first read the script for Black Boy Joy I knew this was a story that I could tell. It's a character driven story about three generations of black men who struggle to figure out how to love each other. We definitely don’t see enough stories being told where black men are allowed to express vulnerability and show what it is like to raise a child on the autism spectrum. In a time where Hollywood is looking for more diversity on film, Black Boy Joy is a layered story that has the ability to really explore tough interpersonal family relationships and challenge the way in which we think about how black men show intimacy.

The world of Black Boy Joy is a place once cared for and loved by women but now has been taken over by men. It is a perfect stage to tell our modern- day story that challenges how we think about masculinity and fatherhood.

The visual language of the film is a moving portrait. We wanted an intimate film to be an immersive experience. Closed vs. open is an emotional theme that is carried throughout the film visually through the camera framing and lighting. Specifically, with the scenes with Miles and Otis, we wanted to show that tension in the relationship by physically placing characters in frames within frames that help articulate the isolation and tension. These characters may feel disconnected from each other, but the camera will allow us to feel connected to them. While the relationship with Otis is disconnected, the relationship with Selim is looking and holding on to connection. The camera tends to move around, taking cues from the dialogue or the movement allowing them to be in the frame together. What connects these motifs will be portraiture that gives us room to be in the mind of each character.

Finding my artistic voice and finding my life purpose is one-in-the-same. Becoming self-aware and connected to that process has been a challenge I face every day. It’s the complexity of my own experiences that inspire me to explore the contradictions and complexities of the characters I direct. Representation is important to me but specificity is essential. My hope is that this film allows people permission to gain a deeper understanding of the human condition and hopefully inspires us to be better versions of ourselves.