#Oscar contender / Cucalorus 2019 – Light in Dark Places
A mother makes a shocking discovery when she's left to pack up her daughter's house after a tragic car accident.
Interview with Writer/Director Lagueria Davis
Watch Light in Dark Places on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Growing up, my mother would keep me on the straight and narrow, by saying, “whatever is done in the dark, will come to light.” She didn’t know it, but that phrase alone would make me fear the light, which gave me no other option but to live in the dark. This film is the light I needed to find my way out of the darkness… of my very own closet, for I am a queer woman of color.
October 15, 2017, I came out to my family. Owning your shadow is the best way to follow the light…
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you're into poetry and visual poetry then this film is for you. It's a simple, yet emotional story told effectively and with a distinct style.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The tone is hauntingly nostalgic as we drift through the home of Rhine (the daughter) after her death. Visual poetry. That’s what comes to mind. There’s a part in the short where the bodies of Rhine and Joss (her lover) manifest. They appear like ghosts, in the master bedroom, that has been untouched. It’s as Rhine left it the day that she died. The manifestations are moments in time where both the present and past exist in one frame. We watch as the ghostly bodies of Rhine and Joss; live, love, laugh and fall apart.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The initial version of the script only had the first "manifestation." However, the response to it on the page inspired me to lean into a creative approach that explored the past and present existing in one space at the same time.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been emotional and relatable. Queer women of color have expressed how much the core of the story resonated with them. Others have shared having a similar coming out or relationship experience.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
To come out of the closet, you have to embrace the very real fact that you’re gay. I know it’s almost 2020 and feels that we’re beyond this story. However, this is my authentic experience and I knew that I could not be alone. The feedback I've received has validated the need for this story in this current space in time for QWOC.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm hoping to reach a wider audience with the film. An audience that would be open to stories such as this.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors, journalists, publicists etc... the film is currently in consideration for the Short Film (Live Action) Academy Awards. Any press or media that we can have to amplify the film overall would be extremely helpful at this time.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It is my hope that we can begin to see more queer Black women in mainstream media and in narrative stories. Have them not just as sidekicks, but as protagonists able to live and love. We're seeing it more with storylines we have This is Us, Almost Family, Black Lightening, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Bold Type, etc... It's important to keep creating this content and hopefully have QWOC creatives a part of the behind the scenes process as well. As a QWOC, I am thirsty, there's just not enough content and I know that I am not alone.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What will you leave behind for family members to find once you've gone?
Would you like to add anything else?
No, thank you, this has been a great start into the heart of how and why this film was made.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Keep a lookout for Black Barbie: A Documentary, which will also be showcased at Cucalorus. It's the writer/director's follow-up project. To learn more, visit www.blackbarbiefilm.com
Interview: November 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
Light in Dark Places
A mother makes a shocking discovery when she's left to pack up her daughter's house after a tragic car accident.
Length: 11:00
Director: Lagueria Davis
Producer: Valeria Lopez
Writer: Lagueria Davis
About the writer, director and producer:
LAGUERIA DAVIS is an award-winning writer/director. Maid of Dishonor a feature she co-wrote was a 2016 Nicholls Fellowship Quarter-Finalist. Remember Me a pilot Davis wrote was a 2018 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition quarter-finalist. In addition, in 2013 This Is Not A Love Story, a feature script placed in the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. Last year, Davis completed the short film Light in Dark Places, which hit the film festival circuit in 2019. Currently, Davis resides in LA where she’s on the board of the Alliance of Women Directors and Cinefemme.
VALERIA LOPEZ is a Los Angeles-based producer. Since 2010, she has spearheaded various successful independent features, TV series, commercials, shorts, and new media projects. Some of her recent credits include line producing Madeleine Olnek’s upcoming feature starring Molly Shannon as Emily Dickinson, production managing Kevin Spacey’s flagship short film series Jameson First Shot starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, and production managing the L.A. unit of National Geographic’s Map of Hell, a TV special collaboration with Danny Trejo. Her experience on shows both large and small exemplifies her ability to adjust well and apply her creative and logistical senses to filmmaking. A world traveler, Lopez aspires to broaden cultural perspectives and experiences through film and media. She received her M.F.A. from Tufts University/SMFA and her B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.
Key cast: Brea Grant, Benita Krista Nall, Virtic Brown
Looking for: film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: Light In Dark Places
Hashtags used: #LightInDarkPlacesFilm
Other: IMDb
Funders: Fiscal Sponsor Film Independent
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? DirectTV Shorts Channel, Revry.com, Sofy.com, more to come