Authenticity is invaluable, originality is nonexistent, Jarmusch is reported to have once said.
The films story, if we are to call it such, is anchored around three intersecting narrative devices.
First, a visual exploration of the Encyclopedia Africana, a literary project W.E.B.
Rich Spirit
BLKNWSwas one of the most talked about projects in Berlin.
Joseph is now a part-owner on the project.
Collaborators on the project include scholars Saidiya Hartman and Christina Sharpe, who are credited on the screenplay.
Steven Soderbergh is an Exec Producer, and Oscar-nominee Bradford Young (Arrival) served as the DoP.
Producers are Amy Greenleaf, Joseph, and Onye Anyanwu.
DEADLINE: Kahlil, youre an artist who has existed in different moving image environments.
How are you feeling about now existing in the traditional cinema space?
DEADLINE: Is there anything markedly different about the traditional cinema industry compared to the gallery world?
JOSEPH:Well, theres not much in common to begin with.
I would say the biggest difference is that the film industry is more accessible and popular.
DEADLINE: When did you first start working on this version of BLKNWS?
JOSEPH:Fall 2020
DEADLINE: James, when did you see the film?
JAMES SHANI: The timing of all this was quite divine.
Kahlil shared the screener with me that night and our lawyers were on with Participant the next morning.
DEADLINE: Why did you decide to acquire and come on board as distributor?
DEADLINE: Was the negotiation difficult?
SHANI:The negotiations are always difficult.
DEADLINE:Were you previously aware of Kahlils work?
But that film rocked me to my core in a way that crystallized my career path in film.
Thats really how my producing career started.
DEADLINE: Kahlil, You spent time working on this in Ghana?
How was that experience?
And how do you think it influenced the film?
Im Ghanaian, and the country has changed so much in recent years.
Its become a real meeting point for the diaspora.
What form did their work on the project take?
Were they actually writing scenes with you?
JOSEPH:Yes, Saidiya was deeply involved as a screenwriter on the project.
Christinas contribution is also integral to the writing.
Her scholarship directly informs the Resonance Field, the oceanic artwork that envelops the film.
JOSEPH:I think its the best place to see films.
Its still the best place to encounter something new that resonates with audiences.
DEADLINE: The film was briefly pulled from Sundance and then reinstated.
Reporting in the press said this was due to some minor edits youd made.
How do you feel about how that all unraveled?
We get to decide its fate.
People who actually care about the film and its audience.
DEADLINE: Kahlil, who have you been inspired by as a filmmaker?
Even filmmakers whose films I dont like are inspiring.
Its hard to describe but its the diversity of voices and perspectives that is so vital and important.
Theres a film whose title I wont mention, but overall I disliked it a lot.
I guess thats what Im talking about.
DEADLINE: What are your hopes forBLKNWSafter the festival run?
Do you want a cinema release?
Whats the ideal home for this?
I made it for wide release.
The ideal home though only God knows.
DEADLINE: What makes a Rich Spirit project for you, James?
DEADLINE: Youve been credited with saving Ali Abbasis The Apprentice.
Why do you think they have to be saved?
I believeThe Apprenticeis still the only Oscar nominated film without a streaming deal?
There are new great practitioners like JaTovia Gary and Madeline Hunt.
And interesting thinkers, too.
What do you think about the current state of things?
And the impact your work has had?
JOSEPH:If what you say is true, its humbling.
I havent seen evidence of it yet but I believe you if thats what you say.
DEADLINE: What are you working on next?
