Rocky Mountain Womens Film Festival 2018 - black enuf*
A Queer oddball seeking approval from their Black peers despite a serious lack of Hip-Hop credentials.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Carrie Hawks
Watch black enuf* on Vimeo on demand
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made black enuf* in order to love myself more and investigate what passes the authenticity threshold for blackness & queerness. My interest extended to how my family thinks about race and their own identities.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You’d watch the film to laugh and think about the different expectations we put on ourselves and others based on race, gender, and sexuality. If you’re a person with a multi-ethnic background, you may identify with the journey to finding your own way and easing into comfort with yourself.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film largely presents from my own perspective, told in my type of humor as I look back on experiences that shaped me. It’s easier to see the humor now that I’ve had some time to distance it all. The film carries universal themes of self-acceptance, looking for a place to belong, and the difficulty of carving out one’s identity.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
black enuf* started out as a live-action project comprised of interviews. I brought my ideas and footage to an editor who told me I did not have a film, so I went back and wrote a script that encapsulated my experiences using animation to bring the viewer inside the past. The film was workshopped a few times by the Diverse Filmmakers Alliance (DFA), small groups of filmmakers, and aided by feedback from Ladies Animated Short Screening. The myriad of feedback and critiques lead to a stronger work.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The best feedback has been from people who tell me the film is about them. They saw their own experiences and anxieties spelled out in the piece. Also, some folks asked for more, wishing the film kept going. I strongly prefer that to someone saying it dragged on.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
One audience member mentioned how in Australia mixed race people referred to themselves as “double.” Instead of feeling like less than whole, it celebrates one’s multi-ethnic background. I’ve heard this term and thinking is also used in some Native communities in North America.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope that someone sees themselves reflected in media as the center of the story. Especially for queer, black and brown peoples, we need more of our stories out there told from our point of view.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I’m fortunate that Black Public Media has decided to program the film next year. If more public television affiliates agree to show it, then the film could reach a lot of folks. Of course, if more journalists wrote about the piece, that would be fantastic for spreading the news about the up-coming broadcast in January 2019, exact date TBD.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d love for it to be used to have conversations on mental health, bullying, and acceptance of queer folks. It’s been used to start off discussions about race, being trans and gender non-conforming, and panels on Black identity.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What makes you enough? What do you need to do to love yourself?
Would you like to add anything else?
Jokes are a great way to broach difficult topics.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’ve started a project about self-injury experiences among people of color.
Interview: November 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
black enuf*
A Queer oddball seeking approval from their Black peers despite a serious lack of Hip-Hop credentials.
Length: 23 min
Director: Carrie Hawks
Producer: Carrie Hawks
Writer: Carrie Hawks
About the writer, director and producer:
CARRIE HAWKS harnesses the magic of animation to tell stories. The artist works in a variety of medium including drawing, doll-making, and performance.
Key cast: Gwendolyn Hawks-Blue, Raymond Hawks, Timothy Hawks, Heather Marie Scholl, Ja
Facebook: black enuf
Twitter: @maroonhorizon AND @blackenuf_film
Instagram: @maroonhorizon
Funders: Jerome Foundation
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? It’s currently for rent on Vimeo and Seed&Spark. You can access either through my website: blackenuf.com. It’s also available for cultural institutions and schools from Third World Newsreel.