Baby
A young Black father must learn to navigate parenthood after his girlfriend mysteriously abandons him and their five-year-old daughter.
Interview with Writer/Director Cole Swanson
Watch Baby here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! There are a few reasons I made the film. For starters, back in March of 2020, my university sent us all home as covid broke out. I remember getting back home to LA from NYC and thinking, "I wonder what will happen next." When I quickly learned that we would all be staying home and not returning to school, I acted swiftly and made some calls. I did not want to be sitting around all Spring, Summer, and Fall without some creative project on my mind.
In terms of the creative reasons as to why I wrote and made BABY... I wanted to capture the relationship between a father and daughter in a vulnerable and intimate way that we rarely see represented on screen. Loosely inspired by the illustrations by Kadir Nelson in the children's book "Please Baby Please" by Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee, I reimagined the story of a young girl whose name we never learn and a father who she loves. I wanted to go even further and subvert audience expectations by having the mother out of the picture as opposed to the Black father. Black masculinity, vulnerability, sensibility, and mental health were all thematic elements I had in mind and explored when writing and shooting this project.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
For so many reasons and more. It's immersive, visually stunning, confronting, uncomfortable, beautiful, and full of heart. It takes you on an intimate journey that follows a hurting family in search of healing. If you seek out cinema that moves you, this is a film to add to your list. It also features an all-Black cast and was created with a crew predominantly run by women. Additionally, my entire crew ranged in age from 18 to 22. Shoutout to my amazing crew! Finally, the music. There is an original score created by Magic Candy that will pull you into the film and breathe life next to these characters.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I tend to write a lot of what I know. I filter in experiences, conversations, and situations from my own life into my work by way of fictional and dramatized characters and scenes. Growing out of adolescence and being faced with maturity and reality is something I tend to explore... Along with love, loss, vulnerability, femininity, and masculinity. The sub-genre called Coming of Age rarely explores Black people's narratives. With that being said, I strive to pioneer that movement and continue to push out Black stories that generally depict young people.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The original script did not explore the mother's side of the story. After having several conversations with the women in my life, that began to evolve. As a director and a writer, I feel it is my responsibility to seek truth through understanding. There are two sides to every coin. I wanted to validate and dimensionalize the character of Jay so that the audience understands her reasons for her actions and does not deem her a villain. During production, we essentially shot everything we intended to with the exception of a couple of scenes omitted on the day. During post-production, we moved some scenes around for a more effective story. I do recall watching the film and feeling that something was STILL missing with Jay's character.
That's when I wrote a monologue, or rather, a letter that she would give to Mike her boyfriend and father of their five-year-old daughter. I won't spoil it but that was a quick scene we added and picked up well after we wrapped the initial production. I'm incredibly grateful that we were able to grab that shot and hear that voiceover. And a special shoutout to the very talented singer and songwriter Syd who was able to help us out with those reshoots last minute.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People have loved this film (so they tell me lol). I have spoken to single mothers, single fathers, or even family members who know of people in similar situations as Mike and Jay. They've all made it extremely clear to me how important the story was to them and for that, I am so humbled and happy. Our team won Best Short Film at the Harlem International Film Festival and we also picked up an HBO Short Film Award nomination at the Academy qualifying Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Every conversation I have is different yet so informative. I've had several discussions and even questions asked about the film that certainly offers a new perspective to the story... But of course, that's the beauty of feedback. I don't necessarily care whether people love my film or hate it. I know I've done my job when people are compelled to stimulate a dialogue surrounding my work. That's my goal as an artist: to create conversation.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Distribution for BABY is never out of the question. I would certainly be grateful for the film to reach an even larger audience. I will say though, that I am ready for my next project. I have an exciting feature film in development but in the meantime, I would love to collaborate with others. Whether they be music videos, commercial work, or short/feature narrative work. I have been taking a lot of time for myself personally to focus on my own work in private; however, I am eager to hear other artists and writers' stories that may fit my line of expertise and skill as a storyteller.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Distributors! Agents! Let's talk :)
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
This film has a lot of heart. It is also a beautifully crafted film from a filmmaker's point of view. With every project I do, I try to establish my style. I hope people can recognize the beauty in the visual storytelling while also soaking in the beauty of the story itself.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is Jay in the wrong? Was Jay ever really there? Is the ending a happy one or a hopeful one? Did the film lean more towards realism or surrealism? What is the significance of the bird/necklace?
Would you like to add anything else?
Watch BABY on the biggest screen possible! The cinematographer, producers, and I intentionally shot on anamorphic lenses allowing for the best possible viewing experience preferably on the largest screen possible. I also encourage viewers to watch in the evening or at night, with headphones or surround sound speakers and stay until the end of the credits to hear the beautiful original music written, composed, and arranged by Magic Candy. The BABY soundtrack by Magic Candy is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc. Go check it out!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I just wrapped a short film project in England called BLAME which will be coming out very soon. It stars Adam Strawford and Aletha Shepherd. Go check out the short film I created for Converse either on my website or Instagram page. Other than that, be patient, this summer will be full of very fun surprises.
Interview: May 2022
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
Baby
Length:
0:20
Writer/Director
Cole Swanson is an award-winning independent filmmaker and creative director/founder of the fashion and art publication, Black Swan Magazine. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Cole was exposed to the world of visual storytelling at an early age through his parents who are celebrated filmmakers.
Cole has been recognized both nationally and internationally with numerous awards for his satirical short film, Black Don't Crack (2018), and has also had his work screened and taught at Atlanta's historically Black liberal arts school, Spelman College. Cole's latest Award Winning project Baby (2021) starring Elijah Rashad Reed and 8x NAACP Image Award Nominee Vanessa Bell Calloway, won Best Short at Harlem International Film Festival, has screened at the Pan African Film Festival, BlackHarvest Film Festival, LA Shorts International, and was nominated for an HBO Short Film Award at the OSCAR Qualifying Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.
Aside from his narrative work, Cole has worked with creative teams like Converse both in front of and behind the camera. Cole also works intimately with Universal Music Group and °1824 creating content for artists such as James Blake, Selena Gomez, Big Sean, Lana del Rey, and more.
Cole studied Film & Television Production at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and England's very own National Film and Television School with a focus on writing and directing.
Producer
Justin Aaron Sirkin, Mary Christine Antonovich
Key cast:
Vanessa Bell Calloway, Elijah Rashad Reed, Ariana Simone Clay, Cinai Leonard
Looking for:
distributors, buyers
Instagram:
Hashtags used:
#thebabyfilm
More info: