Eva, a young Afro-Latina, takes her Spanish-speaking black mother shopping at the neighborhood black hair care store. The Korean proprietor becomes a little too interested in the older woman’s cultural and racial background, which leads to a humorous, tense conversation. Eva becomes the cultural interpreter and ambassador for a host of characters in the store who both play up stereotypes and fall victim to them.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Sandra Manzanares

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

This was my first film. I wanted to write a story that looked at racial and cultural tensions between marginalized groups, examined diversity within the African diaspora, and put characters in an environment where they would have to discuss what they were thinking. I had written it as a short story for a class, but I always felt it very visually when I was writing it. Because it deals with race, age, language, hair and hair products, the layout of a store, etc., I think there’s something special about visually seeing and hearing all of those elements that changes the way one absorbs the story.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I guess that depends on the audience member. Some viewers have told me how much the story speaks to their personal experience and how they’ve rarely seen issues like this discussed on film. Other viewers who aren’t familiar with black beauty supply stores and the demographics of those who own or frequent them have expressed feeling enlightened about issues they don’t normally consider.

Like Fine Silk - Eva stares at mannequins in the beauty supply store

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Every issue in the film starts off very personal. Everyone is sort of talking at each other and is really focused on their own experience. But as the characters expand their view, it opens up the perspectives and complicates them. As a viewer, you see so much of your own experiences reflected, whether it’s answering for an older generation, translating for a relative, being misunderstood or stereotyped, etc. The best parts of watching it screen with different audiences is hearing how people react when they feel validated as a character says or does something powerful. That’s when you know you’re tapping into something deeper.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The biggest transition was taking the original story and making it work for a short film. Then, whether during casting, pre-production, or on set, things came up that altered parts of the original content in small ways. I think the beauty of the final product is seeing that even if portions of the film are slightly different from the original story, all the elements actually work much better as they came out.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

All of it has been really positive, which is great. We’re dealing with sensitive subjects and the goal has always been to be as caring and considerate as possible with the material.

Like Fine Silk - A store patron tries to build a connection with Eva and her mother.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I didn’t quite expect the amount of personal stories that viewers ended up expressing to us that related to the events or themes in our film. Additionally, some folks have said they’ve wanted to see more of these characters, so I’m sure eventually I may want to expand on these individual storylines.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

First, I want as many eyes on art that showcases experiences of marginalized communities, because we so desperately need it. I think platforms like this allow emerging filmmakers to connect with audiences that may not know about our work but may resonate with the material.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Of course we’d love to showcase in more festivals, engage more media outlets, and eventually be able to distribute this to reach more audiences.

Like Fine Silk - The store owner questioning the main characters about their background.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I always want my work to spark discussion and empathy. I try to make work that doesn’t have an easy answer or lesson, because life is more nuanced and layered. I wanted to bring racial and cultural tensions to the forefront with the hope of sparking dialogue, and I think as it reaches more people it has the potential to do that.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

That’s hard because there are so many that you could address with the themes of the film. I think I’d probably ask: In what ways does lack of dialogue around these issues allow for misunderstandings to persist within our communities, and how we can start having more of those uncomfortable conversations?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

We’re both completing our theses at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, so that’s the main focus until graduation! But we’re both writing and developing short and feature film ideas. Stay tuned!

Interview: March 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, 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

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Like Fine Silk

Length: 7:37

Director: Sandra Manzanares and Ben Mankoff

Producer: Sandra Manzanares and Ben Mankoff

Writer: Sandra Manzanares

About the writer, director and producer:

Sandra Manzanares is an Afro-Latina writer and director based in Brooklyn. She’s currently a Master’s student at New York University.

Ben Mankoff is a filmmaker in Brooklyn and an MA student at New York University. He’s currently in post-production on his first feature film, Cubby.

Key cast:

Tiffany Campbell

Shirley Campbell

Shaotian Cai

Zania Cummings

Jane Anne Parker

Julie Amangoua

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):

Festivals and journalists

Other: https://likefinesilk.wixsite.com/film

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

We’ll be screening soon at the San Diego Latino Film Festival and the National Black Film Festival. Hopefully we’ll be screening in more festivals this year!