the implicit racist rhetoric in the film industry will have you on edge my guy. before you read further, know that issa rant. so suppress the expectation of some carefully considered and articulate paragraph.
black filmmakers will always have to work harder to tell their stories and lived experiences because they also have curb the pressure (internal + external) to tell those stories in a way that is palatable and favourable to the white gaze.
sure, your karens and your bobs will tell you that “black stories matter” but what they really mean is, they will only matter is if they remain within the confines of the white imagination and if they don’t dare to teeter on the edge of bringing discomfort. feeling as if you have to preface a table read of your script with phrases like “it’s not just about race” or “tell me if the ‘race stuff’ is a bit much” ??? tf?
the anxiety i felt having to pitch my “racially subtextual” script aka my LIVED experience is not normal. when i examine that angst i find that it stems from the fear of possibly taking up space in that conference room. the fear of mirroring my white counterparts’ own prejudices and biases back to them. i reject the notion that it could just be me. that maybe it’s my own insecurities regarding my writing- i’ve considered that but it’s simply not true.
after the table read, there weren’t any criticisms on my formatting or character arches or simply the storyline itself. but rather, the emphasise from my white colleagues was my subject matter. “who will my audience be?” they asked. “what world is this set in?”. as if to suggest that a world where racism exists is not their own.
“it’s a bit on the nose, don’t you think”… what?
if only they could hear themselves.
i mean, i do understand that perhaps it’s just business. that my stories have to be commodified at the end of the day and in order to do that, they have to be “safe” but thats also another mechanism/ rhetoric employed to justify and perpetuate racism as well as censorship.
it takes an exceptional amount of courage for black artists to tell their stories to the world. the least we can do to commend their courage is simply believe them and dare not stifle.
the basic premise of script btw was an interracial couple on their first date- it’s seemingly the usual witty and arbitrary back and forth, flirting and so on but as the date progresses, a sudden ‘slip up’ forces the couple to face the uncomfortable veracity of their opposing racial identifies.
whats so otherworldly about that?
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