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#BlackBoyJoyGone (#BBJG) is a BFI Doc Society-funded hybrid documentary by and for black men on mental health, sexual trauma and finding strength through brotherhood. Blending interviews, poetry, dance and storytelling, it captures the lives, realities, and the hopeful perspectives of men in the North, the Midlands and London in the United Kingdom.
The individual and collective accounts inform the narratives with the addition of layers of imagery, poetry, and dance. The dance sequences draw from Hip Hop, Popping, Waving, and West African & western Contemporary techniques.
Working collaboratively with mental health organisations and individuals in the UK, including Mind charity, The Survivors Trust and Black mental health professionals, this project has reached out far and wide, to amplify the voices of Black men who are often marginalised and underrepresented in accessing support and wellbeing services.
The title ties in with the celebration of Black men through the Black boy joy motif. It is a play on how we’re never ‘too far gone’ if we seek the right help.
The film highlights the important yet untold experiences of Black men. It reveals genuine, heartfelt stories within the wider Black Lives Matter conversation to show solidarity and, to bring attention to lived experiences and healing wounds.
Read MoreAfter We're Gone
Zena enters an underground shrine to meet with the royal priestess. As the ritual begins, she re-imagines the journey of the African Diaspora.
Interview with Writer/Director Ima Iduozee
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to tell the story of the African Diaspora as a way to celebrate our ancestry and heritage. The film explores themes of migration, fantasy and the intersections of African culture within Western society and the communities around me, to weave an intimate story of magic, heritage, perseverance and hope.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The story is ancient and new at the same time, tapping into history and the contemporary moment simultaneously. The past is not behind us, but instead all around us in a changed form. And as for international audience members specifically, I feel like the film has something new to say about the black presence and history of Finland as well.
After We're Gone
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I feel like they are very much intertwined. I tap into personal memory and heritage, communal experiences and archived history all at the same time. It's also about the preservation of culture and our stories, which is very much a universal question for many marginalised communities of color around the world.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script definitely evolved during development and all the creative discussions we had with the head of departments and the cast members. It really takes a small village to create even a 10-minute short film and everyone's artistic contributions played a major role in how the vision was realised.
After We're Gone
What type of feedback have you received so far?
In Finland, it's been heartwarming to hear that folks have found it empowering to see their culture and heritage represented on the silver screen, through a lens of care. At the same time, the experimental mode of storytelling and the lack of a conventional plot/dramaturgy has left some audience members a bit perplexed as well.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I'm looking forward to hearing a wide range of feedback from different audience members, that will help me critically reflect on the work deeper.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm hoping the film and my work will reach wider international curiosity through www.wearemovingstories.com
Behind the scenes of After We're Gone
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Producers, distributors, journalists and film festival directors to name a few.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Obviously, I'm hoping the film will have a positive reception. At the same time, all critical feedback is very welcomed as well. Maybe the film will continue the conversation around whose stories are considered worthwhile and whose stories are left in the marginal, especially in the Nordic countries.
Behind the scenes of After We're Gone
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do we, as people of color living in the West, celebrate and preserve our cultural heritage? Or... Through whose lens do we see ourselves?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
One of the actors in the film, Emmanuel Culkin Mugisha, just launched their own fashion line called Your's Truly Angel. Miranda Chambers, the lead actor in the film, can be seen on the Netflix show Dance 100. The DOP of the film, Max Smeds, is working on a feature-length film at the moment. I myself recently choreographed a Netflix series called Dance Brothers, which will premiere May 10th worldwide. I'm also writing a short film about the Nordic midsummer festivity, as well as my debut feature film, and epic hero's journey about the chosen one who has been destined to save humanity from its extinction.
Interview: April 2023
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
After We're Gone
Zena enters an underground shrine to meet with the royal priestess. As the ritual begins, she re-imagines the journey of the African Diaspora.
Length: 9:52
Director: Ima Iduozee
Producer: Nita Rehtonen
Writer: Ima Iduozee
About the writer, director and producer:
Of Nigerian and Finnish descent, IMA IDUOZEE is a filmmaker, choreographer and DJ based in Helsinki, Finland. His debut choreography, This is the Title, premiered in 2012 and went on to garner international acclaim, touring in 15 countries across Europe, North America and Asia. He is also the choreographer of Dance Brothers, a Netflix - series that will premiere in May 2023 worldwide. After working as a music video director for several years, he wrote and directed New Moon (2021) and Villa (2022), short films commissioned by the Helsinki International Film Festival. His latest short film, After We’re Gone, will have its international premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
NITA REHTONEN has produced music videos and commercials for several production companies in Finland. Her debut short film is After We're Gone.
Key cast: Miranda Chambers (Zena), Elizabeth Haaparanta (Priestess), Ajak Majok (Isayah), Emmanuel Culkin Mugisha (Cloud), Ima Iduozee (Shaman)
Looking for: journalists, producers, sales agents, film festival directors and distributors
Instagram: @imaiduozee
Website: www.imaiduozee.com
Made in association with: The film was commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
Funders: The film was co-funded by The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture Finland AVEK and the Finnish Institute of UK & Ireland
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Cannes Film Awards / France, Cannes - May 16 to May 27;
Cannes Indie Shorts Awards / France, Cannes - November 8 to 12;
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