Chicago Feminist Film Festival 2019 – Femme Queen Chronicles, Ep 1: The Clock
FEMME QUEEN CHRONICLES is a web-series about the lives of four black trans women as they navigate through love, life, trade, and shade in the city of Detroit; written, directed, and brought to life by black trans women themselves. In Episode One, the four friends just try to make it through the day without getting clocked as trans women — or clocking someone else over the head instead.
Interview with Writer/Director/Actor Ahya Simone
Watch Femme Queen Chronicles, Ep 1: The Clock on Vimeo
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
To be honest, I had no intentions of ever making a film in my lifetime, but life has a funny way of leading you to take leaps you never expected. When the idea for Femme Queen Chronicles (FQC) first came about, I had just quit my 9-to-5 job to pursue a career as a musician full-time. That same day, I went to a board meeting for the Trans Sistas of Color Project - Detroit, a Black trans-led organization I co-founded with Bré Rivera (nee Campbell), Cierra Burks, and various other figures within Detroit’s LGBTQ community. While we spent our meeting that night strategizing around how to do locally address the violence that trans women of color face daily across the country, as the meeting finished, we all piled into one car and went out in the search of food.
Although we all had just spent hours discussing the very real and dire reality that trans women of color face in regards to violence, murder, and life expectancy, we soon found ourselves sharing more hilarious and positive experiences of growing up trans in Detroit just as easily. As the driver, I even had to pull over at one point because I was laughing so hard from hearing about the good times and how we can even make the bad times seem funny. It was at that moment I knew these were the stories I wanted us as trans women of color to be sharing – ones that address the issues that affect us daily, but also leave room for raw emotion, fun, and joy.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you want to see witty, fab, beautiful Black trans women talking their shit and being themselves in the city of Detroit, then FQC is for you.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In my work, I explore elements of vulnerability, identity, and existence. As a Black trans woman director, native Detroiter, and storyteller, I am deeply invested in sharing authentic stories and experiences that depict trans women from a place of humor, authenticity, and joy. Although the majority of stories surrounding Detroit focus mainly on cisgender and heterosexual people, my work complicates those narratives to include Detroit queer and trans people of color.
Ultimately, FQC is a reprieve from the often monolithic depictions of trans women of color into a more light hearted, fun, and fab tone. The series not only explores how identity affects how often very simple everyday experiences that most people take for granted can become a minefield of adventure, mishaps, or barriers to these characters goals in a way TV hasn’t seen before, but also serves as a platform for Black, Midwestern trans women to tell their own stories in their own way both in front of and behind the camera.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
FQC was lucky to be a project chosen for the Detroit Narrative Agency’s (DNA) Film Fellowship, which supports local Black and Brown filmmakers to develop a short film idea that told a different kind of story about Detroit. As a two-year fellowship, in the first year of FQC, we created a short concept pilot that was only about 3-4 minutes. The script for that pilot was mostly action-based with little dialogue, and it really only centered around one main character and 1-2 locations. I had never written a script before and had little to no idea of how much was involved in telling a story, even one as short as we envisioned. So, by the second year of the cohort, we hired local producer and writer Paige Wood, and evolved the pilot episode of FQC into a 10-minute, dynamic narrative that followed the various narratives of an ensemble cast of talented Black-trans women from Detroit.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve received mostly positive feedback regarding the overall story, vibrant fashion, language, and individuality of each character. In fact, already several people have come up to me after screenings to talk about who their favorites are and it’s only been one episode! In addition, many people have mentioned that they enjoy seeing a fresh perspective on Detroiters; particularly in regards to who we are and what we can look like. Often times, the stories that surround Detroit simply focus on “the bad” or “the good” that’s done by white billionaire entrepreneurs in the wake of the city’s “resurgence”. I think a lot of people, particularly within the city, see FQC as not only a reprieve of the idea that there’s nothing to do or see Detroit, but also that the long-standing Black residents of the city are the ones who have truly kept the life of this city going.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I was surprised most by the overwhelming positive reactions by cisgender people who have little connection to trans communities or our language, which is obviously a huge part of the series. FQC is made for the girls, but I find joy in the fact that people from all walks of life are also excited to see more.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We’re always looking to build our audience, and have FQC reach as many people as possible. FQC might be specific to the lived experiences of Black trans women and Detroiters, but the humor and heart that drives the story is something we feel can be enjoyed by audiences around the world, regardless of their identity.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
With our pilot out now in select festivals, the FQC team is currently developing subsequent episodes for the rest of season one of the series. We’d love to speak more with emerging and established QPOC in the industry who are interested in helping us making that happen – from executive producers to directors and producers.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I actually worked with DNA and our producer Paige Wood to develop an impact plan for FQC before we even started production. Essentially, I envisioned this project as something that uplifted Black trans women both on-screen and off-screen – even behind the camera. Being that FQC was brought to life by a cast and crew that largely consisted of Black trans women and QPOC, I want the impact of FQC to going forward to be a testament to our artistry and also give Black trans women the skills needed in order to work in a creative industry. Outside of that, we just hope people like the pilot episode and see its potential as much we do.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How does one remain resilient in the face of dehumanizing pressures of oppression? In what ways can one resist the various means of institutional oppression that QTPOC must navigate against every day in order to live a wholehearted, happy life?
Would you like to add anything else?
Follow FQC on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram at @fqchronicles and visit our site at www.fqchronicles.com! We have a whole festival line-up for the spring that spans across multiple countries, so look out to see FQC is coming to a city near you!
Interview: February 2019
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
Femme Queen Chronicles, Ep 1: The Clock
FEMME QUEEN CHRONICLES is a web-series about the lives of four black trans women as they navigate through love, life, trade, and shade in the city of Detroit; written, directed, and brought to life by black trans women themselves. In Episode One, the four friends just try to make it through the day without getting clocked as trans women — or clocking someone else over the head instead.
Length: 11:00
Director: Ahya Simone
Producer: Paige Wood
Writer: Ahya Simone, Paige Wood
About the writer, director and producer:
AHYA SIMONE is a Detroit-based harpist, singer, artist, filmmaker, and organizer. She earned her degree from Wayne State University, where she was the principal harpist for the Wayne State University Wind Symphony in 2011. She has performed extensively in Detroit, and internationally in Scotland and Canada. Ahya’s versatile approach to harp and vocal artistry includes classical, jazz, and soul. She is also an emerging filmmaker, and was awarded a Knight Sundance Fellowhip in 2018 for the making of her web-series “Femme Queen Chronicles,” sponsored by the Trans Sistas of Color Project and the Detroit Narrative Agency 2.0. For more information on Ahya and her work, visit her site at www.ahyasimone.live.
PAIGE WOOD is a producer, screenwriter, and creative consultant. Recently, Paige worked as the lead producer/co-writer on two narrative projects sponsored by the Detroit Narrative Agency—Riding with Aunt D. Dot and Femme Queen Chronicles (FQC); and is one of eight fellows within Firelight Media's 2018-2019 Impact Producer Fellowship. Currently, Paige is producing several independent productions across the country, while writing the script for a original urban-fantasy idea and working together with director Ahya Simone to develop FQC as a series. For more information on Paige and her portfolio, visit her site at www.blkdaria.com.
Key cast: Ahya Simone (Chanel), Paige Michaels Chanel (Eryka), Bré Rivera née Campbell (Amirah), Cierra Burks (Shevon)
Looking for: producers
Facebook: Femme Queen Chronicles
Twitter: @fqchronicles
Instagram: @fqchronicles
Website: www.fqchronicles.com
Other: Vimeo
Made in association with: Detroit Narrative Agency and the Trans Sistas of Color Project - Detroit, w/ support from the Knight Foundation
Funders: Detroit Narrative Agency, The Trans Sistas of Color Project - Detroit, The Knight Foundation
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Please check in on our social media for our upcoming festival dates! We can't announce anything yet, but there's a whole line-up of FQC screenings around the world that'll be happening over the next 2-3 months and counting.