Hopefully by now, those of you in the NYC area got a chance to see Terence Nance’s debut feature, An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty, which began its platformed release here this past Friday. Guest contributor Aisha Cousins chatted with the director, and an edited version of their conversation follows here.

So, you’re on the road to Sundance Film Festival and you’re thinking “I’ll be sooo happy if _______.” What were you hoping for and how did it compare to what actually happened?
Funny enough, I don’t actually remember. I had so little sleep in the leadup to the festival that I don’t think I was capable of having whole, coherent thoughts. I guess I would have been happy if people liked the movie and it seemed like they did.

You must have met some amazing filmmakers along the way.
There are so many, but a few of my favorites on the circuit were Kahlil Joseph (Until the Quiet Comes), Kleber Mendonça Filho (Neighboring Sounds), Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere), Benh Zeitlen (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Marialy Rivas (Young and Wild), and Kevin Jerome Everson.

Who would you say influences you most as a filmmaker?
Most of my influences are novelists. Writers like Roald Dahl, Toni Morrison, August Wilson, and Ralph Ellison were definitely influences on me as a writer. I think my filmmaking is sourced in prose.

Speaking of prose, can we talk about editing? Those who caught the Sundance premiere will notice An Oversimplification of Her Beauty is now noticeably shorter than its original version. What did you cut and why?
I cut out stuff I thought slowed the film down. It was all “a second here a second there” rhythmic editing. I think it’s a more engaging movie watching experience now, so I’m excited to see how viewers respond to it.

So a musician, a comedian, and a filmmaker walk into a bar… what’s the story behind Jay-Z and Wyatt Cenac coming in on the film? How exactly are they involved and what has it been like working with them?
One of our executive producers showed it to them and they came to the film after seeing it. I think they really should be celebrated for their support of the film. It goes completely against the narrative that Black celebs don’t invest in emerging filmmakers. Their support has been invaluable. Their names alone make the film visible to new audiences and raise the profile. It’s been over a year since we premiered at Sundance. I don’t think our film would have stayed in the public eye and continued to draw new supporters for this long without them.

You actually started An Oversimplification… seven years ago. Since then, you’ve started work on a second feature The Lobbyists, that just won The Creative Promise Narrative Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Has your vision as a filmmaker evolved since learning more about the process of bringing a film to theaters? Any hints for our readers about what we can look forward to seeing from you in the future?
Darker films.
Artier films.
More music.
Absurd films.
Installations.
Performances.
More acting.
One or two documentaries.
One or two TV series.
A few children -one named August, haven’t decided on the other yet.

Anything else Bold as Love’s readers can do to support your work?
Take a friend to see the movie in a theater near you! We’ll be screening around the country through June. If your city’s not on the list, contact us and make it happen.

Additional links:

• Terence Nance official
• ofherbeauty.com
• twitter.com/ofherbeauty
• facebook.com/ofherbeauty

Aisha Cousins is a visual artist who writes performance art scores (instructions for live art projects), proverbs, short stories, and the occasional dream log. Her score “How to Listen to Lil Wayne: For Nia, Nya, and Kamaria” was recently published by MoMA PS1 as part of the catalog for Clifford Owens’ abstract compendium of notable black performance artists, Clifford Owens: Anthology. She is currently working on a do-it-yourself curriculum designed to meet the needs of black youth whose schools have lost art funding titled SAY IT LOUD!: Performance Art Scores for the Young, Gifted, and Fabulous.

• http://www.aishacousins.com
• http://dearmlk.blog.com
• http://sayitloudguide.wordpress.com

It is so rare that we see representations of a man’s emotional life.  And it’s even more rare to explore that of a man of color.  But that’s exactly what director Terence Nance has done with his award-winning film An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty, which opens tomorrow, April 26 in NYC with additional dates around the country to follow.  Here’s the brief synopsis of a film that mixes live action and animation to stunning effect:

With arresting insight, vulnerability, and a delightful sense of humor, Terence Nance’s explosively creative debut feature, An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty, documents the relationship between Terence and a lovely young woman (Namik Minter) as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic. Utilizing a tapestry of live action and various styles of animation, Terence explores the fantasies, emotions, and memories that race through his mind during a singular moment in time.

Here’s the trailer:

More info on the film is here.

Sheldon Shepard (l) and Nicole Grey in Better Mus’ Come

In sneak previews in many cities since Wednesday and finally opening in NYC and LA today is the first release from the new “multiplatform” label from AFFRM, writer-director-cinematographer Storm Salter’s Better Mus’ Come.  In this sense, “multiplatform” means that the new label–called ARRAY–will take advantage of both digital distribution channels in addition to traditional theatrical exhibition for its films.

Set in 1970′s Jamaica, Better Mus Come is a love story set against the events of the time when political factions enlisted rival gangs to disrupt the democratic election process.  The film also fictionalizes some of the events around the infamous Green Bay Massacre, in which 5 members of the Jamaican Labour Party were lured into an ambush and killed by members of the Military Intelligence Unit.

Check out the film’s trailer here:

And here’s the film’s evocative poster:

Ready to see Better Mus’ Come?  Check out the full list of showtimes and theaters here.
 

(photo credit: photo taken by Charles Peterson. Courtesy Don Peterson)

The 27th season of PBS’s American Masters series kicks off this Friday with Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll.  The premiere is at 9PM (check your local listings) and will be available to stream online thereafter at pbs.org/americanmasters.

The documentary tells

the story of African-American gospel singer and guitar virtuoso Sister Rosetta Tharpe (March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973). One of the most influential musicians of the 20^th century, Tharpe may not be a household name today, but the flamboyant superstar, with her spectacular playing on the newly electrified guitar, played a pivotal role in the creation of rock ’n’ roll.

Moreover:

Southern-born, Chicago-raised and New York-made, Sister Rosetta rose from poverty to become one of the world’s most popular gospel singers and the first to cross over successfully into mainstream popular music. She introduced the spiritual passion of gospel into the secular world of rock ’n’ roll, inspiring some of its greatest stars, including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard. A natural-born performer and a rebel, “She could play the guitar like nobody else … nobody!” says Lottie Henry, a member of Tharpe’s back-up vocal group The Rosettes. “Elvis loved Rosetta Tharpe,” attests Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires, who performed with both Sister Rosetta and Elvis. “Not only did he dig her guitar playing but he dug her singing too.”

Here’s a preview clip:

Watch Trailer: The Godmother of Rock & Roll on PBS. See more from American Masters.

 Additional link:

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe on American Masters

Always glad to see new work by the unstoppable dynamic director-cinematographer duo of Ava DuVernay and Bradford Young (who won Best Cinematographer at this year’s Sundance Festival for the second time!).  This short film is the film in a series commissioned by designer Miu Miu called Women’s Tales, which focuses on the strength and transformative power of female bonds and friendship.

The symbolic centre of The Door is the front entrance of the protagonist’s home. As she opens it to greet a friend in the powerfully framed opening scenes, she is shrouded in an oblique sadness. “In the film, characters arrive at the door of a friend in need, bringing something of themselves,” explains director DuVernay. “Eventually, we witness our heroine ready to walk through the door on her own. The door in the film represents a pathway to who we are.”

Clothing is also a symbol of renewal, each change of costume charting our heroine’s emergence from a chrysalis of sadness. In the final scenes, she takes off her ring, pulls on long, black leather gloves, and walks, transformed by the emotive power of the clothing, through the door.

The short film  stars Gabrielle Union, Alfre Woodard, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Adepero Oduye and singer-songwriter Goapele.  You’ll recall that Ava DuVernay was the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize at Sundance in 2012, for her second feature, Middle of Nowhere.

Yeah, it’s a long clothing ad.  But what a joy to see all of these beautiful black women captured in a story by this talented filmmaking team!

And check out the behind the scenes/making of video:

Additional links:

• See the other 4 films in the series

Four brothas head off for their annual hiking trip. Just as an alien invasion starts.  Not only do they have a lot of interpersonal issues that bubble to the surface and need to be worked out, but they’ve also got to figure out what exactly is happening.  That’s the premise of director Keith Josef Atkins’s new sci-fi series.  You may recall that Keith is one of the founders of The New Black Fest, community and showcase for emerging voices in theater.

He’s working on additional episodes of The Abandon, funding for which he crowdsourced via Indiegogo.  If you like what you see, please spread the word.  Check out the 16-minute pilot episode here:

Additional link:

• The Abandon official

1) What inspired you to become a filmmaker/producer?

I was in grad school doing film studies research and was frustrated by the fact that there was no access to the films that were being discussed in the text. I wanted to literally see the point that the author was trying to make. Furthermore, among black film scholars, Toni Cade Bambara was a real model for me. Her writing was clearly informed by her use of the camera as an instrument. I am still pretty adamant, particularly with my students, about resisting the logo centric nature of the Academy. Film was a new literacy for me and has become my preferred voice.

2) What is the story behind Oil House Productions?

I began taking on freelance video projects in Washington, DC. Our first client was a Southeast activist organization called The Visions to Peace project, we helped them film and edit a student-directed documentary on how violence affects youth. Even at the point where the work evolved to music videos for independent artists, our company’s focus was an activist agenda. The name, Oil House, was chosen by my father. Oil House’s were near lighthouses on plantations, they contained the oil to keep the lighthouse lit. I like to think of them as places where slaves snuck away for ring shouts and prayer meetings. Oil House will continue to serve as a think tank and design firm, addressing social issues that are especially relevant to marginalized groups.

3) Most people might say, you have a PhD from UChicago, you could’ve easily become an academic.  Or, you’re also a filmmaker, you could easily be living in Los Angeles, New York or even Atlanta to help further your filmmaking aspirations.  Given all this, why did you decide to return to Trenton?

I don’t think it’s ever easy, particularly as a young black woman, to pursue being an academic, and Hollywood and black “urban” film are also limiting in their scope of representations of black people both on and off the screen. I’ve actually never lived in Trenton until now but I have taught students from here, as well as Philadelphia, D.C., Chicago, New York;  the needs here are the same as everywhere. My hope is that by being here I can help to address issues of poverty and racial marginalization in new and creative ways.

4) Would you call yourself a Trenton evangelist?  Might a run for political office be in your future?

I can think of a slew of reasons why I am not a politician. My favorites are that my hair is always disheveled and, as I’ve been told recently, I “don’t know how to hedge.” I want to be one of the people with their sleeves rolled up, and have even offered to help run the campaign of a person who’s socialist politics, and active presence in the Trenton community, seem to me, to be right on the mark. The bottom line though is Trenton is a tough town, it’s extremely xenophobic and while there is some apathy here, it’s not waiting to be converted. I do want to lead, that’s been evident since my elementary school playground, but I am as jaded by public officials as the average Trentonian, rightfully so. I think the real power lies in cooperative business and that has been Oil House’s platform and practice.

5) What are some of the things that you have upcoming at OHP?  What should we be looking forward to from OHP in 2013?

We are currently finishing our film, Blind Man Walking, and preparing for a festival run with that work. We are also archiving all of our tapes online, on the Facebook site, Oil House, and this will include interviews, commissioned performances and other presentations with Melissa Harris-Perry, Boots Riley of the Coup, and Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., among countless others. This is being done to facilitate our new web series, Scheherazade.  We are working with the West End Little League and N.J. turnkey leader, Holly Nance Property Solutions, doing some grant funding and other development projects. God willing, and this was actually my unrealized goal for 2012, we will get our own physical home, but for now we’ll continue to make the most out of urls.

Credit: Clarence Franklin

Nestled behind an antique shop in Bowie Maryland’s historic district is the divine candy shop Mama Cocoa’s Delights. With its funky decor and a soundtrack consistently featuring the likes of Alice Smith, Prince and Bilal, it would be easy to think that you’ve left the suburbs of Washington DC and have been transported to a hip new spot in Bed-Stuy–DC’s Adams Morgan for that matter. And when you’re greeted by the gale of curls, energy and smiles known as Mama Cocoa, the journey seems complete. However, as she’s quick to remind her customers, Mama Cocoa’s Delights are made in Bowie, a motto that is about to take on greater significance as she makes her debut in front of a national television audience as a contestant on Food Network’s Sweet Genius.

I recently caught up with Mama Cocoa to get her perspective on this journey on which she is about to embark.

Given how much we focus on music at Bold As Love Magazine, you know I have to ask, does the name Mama Cocoa come from the Gino Vannelli song?

Actually it does come from the song “Mama Coco” by Gino Vannelli. When I first started thinking about having a candy business, my aunt’s sister says to me “If this were the 70’s or 80’s, we’d call you Mama Cocoa!” She told me all about the song, I downloaded it and loved it!! One of his first lines says “Feed me woman, food”. It’s a funky little love song, I couldn’t resist it.

How long have you been making candy?

I’ve been making candy personally for ten years now, professionally for 3 years. I started experimenting with truffle recipes and realized that I really loved candy making. So I taught myself as much as I could and then I went to culinary school to learn more. After school I pursued a career as a Pastry Chef, because I wanted to have as much food knowledge as I could before I opened my shop.

You’ve lived a number of places and could have opened this store anywhere, so why did you choose Bowie, MD of all places?

I live in Bowie and I’ve lived here for about seven years now. I love the people and the community and the proximally to several different cities. I have also spent the better part of my working life commuting. And I decided that one of the perks of owning your own business was the ability to control your commute. My house is minutes away from my shop–talk about winning!

How did you land on Sweet Genius?

My mother and I would always watch Sweet Genius together. And of course I would say “if I were on that show, I would have done it this way instead.” I was all talk but I never tried to get on the show. Then a friend and fellow Pastry Chef here in Bowie, recommended that I send in my information to try and get an audition. I ignored her completely, but she wouldn’t let up. So finally I sent in my information just to say I did and get her off my back. I never expected them to actually call.

What else can we expect from Mama Cocoa’s Delights in 2013.

This business has taken me to several unexpected places. It has given me countless unexpected experiences. What I can tell you is that I plan to keep working very hard, and doing my best. I will keep growing and expanding and getting the word out to let people know that I exist.. And I promise you I will continue to enjoy this wonderful ride!

Derek (Omari Hardwick) and Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi) in Middle Of Nowhere

“Soft power” is a term typically employed in diplomatic circles and it roughly means “the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce [or] use force.” However, I think it’s appropriate to use it in connection with filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s body of work thusfar.  Both her debut I Will Follow and her recently released Middle of Nowhere her ability to tell a stories using “soft power” is on full display, and it’s one of the reasons she became the first African American woman to win Sundance’s Best Director honors.  Resisting the urge for over-the-top drama, she and her collaborator–the brilliant cinematographer Bradford Young–expertly deliver a powerful and satisfying cinematic experience that packs an emotional punch.  While the outward action of the film encompasses a lot of stillness, there are a lot of emotions roiling beneath the film’s surface In the case of Middle of Nowhere, still waters do run deep.

This isn’t to say that nothing happens in this film.  Hardly. Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi) is a woman trying to keep her marriage alive while her husband Derek (Omari Hardwick) serves time in prison. When we meet her, they’re in year four of an eight year sentence. Ruby is stuck between the love she has for her husband and the attraction she has to a handsome bus driver (David Oyelowo).  But she’s unsure of whether to let go of the one and head into the future with the other. Legitimately so: There is a chance that Derek could get an early parole for good behavior.  Unfortunately, a prison sentence changes everyone–the prisoner and his or her family–something that Ruby is reluctant to admit.  What she ultimately decides, well, that’s the story of the film.

The “soft power” thing I referenced at the beginning is something that’s rare in films these days.  That is, what you have in “Middle of Nowhere” is a deep dive into a black woman’s internal story.  Yes, there are these outside circumstances that impact her.  But the film is really an exploration of how she deals with them, how she wrestles with the inner turmoil that these circumstances cause.  And though worn down, Ruby remains a fighter: One of the best scenes is when she barges into her husband’s lawyer’s office to plead for her to represent him at his parole hearing.  It’s not ballsy: Rather, you know immediately that, once more, she’s got to put her pride aside and almost beg the lawyer to stay on the case.

Film, of course, if visual.  Cinematographer Young’s camera work uses closeups, blurred lenses and flashback sequences that are more like daydreams that make it clear the powerful tug the past has on Ruby and the memories that anchor her to her life with Derek before his arrest.

And, as with any person with a complicated past, we don’t get to know Ruby’s story fully until the end, until we’ve spent time with her.  It was a satisfying reveal.

DuVernay is to be commended.  She’s leading the charge of 21st century black filmmakers–including her fellow 2012 Sundance directors such as Terence Nance–who understand that excellence in filmmaking doesn’t have to come at the expense of audience accessibility.  It’s not necessary to pander to lowest common denominator tactics.

Bottom line: If you haven’t seen Middle of Nowhere yet, do yourself a favor and get to a theater in your area.

Additional links:

• Middle Of Nowhere official
• Theaters and showtimes

This is it, fam: Opening weekend for Middle Of Nowhere, the film that earned Ava DuVernay Best Director honors at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.    As I noted when I wrote about the last AFFRM release, Andrew Dosunmu’s Restless City, opening weekends matter:

For those of you unfamiliar with the way theatrical releasing works, here are the basics you need to understand.  The weekend box-office numbers–especially that opening weekend– are crucial.  Why? Because theater owners are making determinations on Sunday night about what films will hold screens for the next week.  Restless City has nowhere the marketing budget of The Avengers, so it’s relying on PR and word-of-mouth.  And the impact of both of those take time.  So it’s better for the film to stay in theaters longer.  Unfortunately, the only way that happens is if the theater owners see the numbers to justify holding the screen.  After all, they could just as easily bump that film and add another screening of The Avengers.  Or some other film.

And let me be clear: I’m not asking you to support this film because it’s a “black” film.  No, I’m asking you to support it sooner rather than later because this film is  a visual feast.  I said as much in my review.  And this isn’t about “taking your vitamins,” i.e., doing it because it’s good for you.  It’s not exactly about “supporting progressive culture,” either.  I mean, it kinda is.  But here’s my point: It’s capitalism, baby.   It’s about making sure this film–and others like it–matter in the marketplace.  That means they need to make money.  In that way, big companies feel comfortable getting into business with similar films.

Again, this isn’t to guilt you into seeing the film.  Just want you to be mindful.

If you do decide to go, you’ll need to be in one of these cities:

OCTOBER 12

• New York
• Los Angeles
• Atlanta
• Philadelphia
• Washington, DC
• Chicago

OCTOBER 19

• Los Angeles (additional theater)
• Miami
• Detroit
• Oakland, CA
• Seattle
• Houston
• New Jersey

Haven’t seen the film’s trailer yet?  Check it out here.

Get full info on this weekend’s screening times here.

Additional link:

• Middle Of Nowhere official