An intimate look into an African American family, uncovering the story of a long-lost brother and exploring the transformative power of family and belonging.

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Hi Lea, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Before we get into the interview, what was the experience being part of Diversity in Cannes with IT’S A FAMILY THING?

 

What I loved about Cannes was how many people I met who share the same passion for film, creativity, kindness, and generosity. You converse with so many talented people from all over the world, it was inspiring. Watching all the films from different countries and having conversations after, I felt motivated and supported as well as elevated. I felt seen, it was an amazing experience to start my festival run in that regard.

 

And getting nominated for your debut short at Diversity in Cannes, that must have felt amazing?

 

It was a bit surreal to be nominated, the first nomination to get in Cannes. IT’S A FAMILY THING is also my debut film so it’s nice after a year of hard work to gain this nomination and go to the showcase in Cannes.

 

That's what makes Cannes so great. Whether it’s the main festival or the satellite events, one of the things that people don't always realise is, minus the glitz and glamour, Cannes is really about film. It's about people of all different levels that are genuinely passionate about filmmaking. And that's why the Diversity in Cannes showcase is so important because it’s become an important part of that legacy.

 

100 percent. I couldn't have said it better. That's exactly what I felt. Despite all the glamorous stuff, it's wonderful to be in this festival. I just want to do more now. I want to go to the Berlinale and all these other festivals that promote, help, and support, as you said, filmmakers. So you feel like part of a big family.

 

You have more of festival screenings with IT’S A FAMILY THING soon; Shorties (She Rises) on the 12th September, and your nominated at the Women of the Lens festival, which is going to be at Garden Cinema. What’s the experience been for you seeing your film with audiences and gaging their reaction? 

 

I like to sit in the discomfort of watching my film with an audience. When I say discomfort I mean I want the film to be liked or to have audiences relate to it on some level. I guess it's a discomfort because as a filmmaker you’re constantly whispering to yourself “oh please connect, laugh or feel moved” and at the same time the film isn’t mine anymore. I'm trying to watch it as an audience member to disconnect myself from it and accept what people’s reaction might be. To be honest there's always a laugh and there is always some audience members feeling moved, and I can hear some crying. But what I love the most is that after the screenings I am able to have conversations with the audience.  

 

What do you take from these conversations?

 

That the audience have found the story moving and then this opens up to deeper conversation about families. How they perceive family and how they feel about them, how often they see them or about their roots, I didn't expect to get this. I absolutely love to hear these stories because it allows me to discover people in a more intimate way as we talk about our backgrounds, ethnicity, culture, or lack of as it may be. Then you realise that as human beings we are not one thing. We are full of different things, we are full of different cultures from our grandparents and our great grandparents. And I think it's very enriching to hear all of that.

 

With IT’S A FAMILY THING being your debut short, what made you want to make a documentary as opposed to a narrative short?

 

For me, the only way to dig into this topic and learn about my own culture was to do it through documentary. Fiction felt I would have had to change the reality a little or I would have to emphasise some stories to make it more dramatic or comedic. I wanted to try to capture and document, as truthful as possible, the impact of having a community or being part of a community. I wanted to explore the understanding a culture, tradition, and the power that can be found in this. Documentary was the truest medium to capture this.

 

Family becomes our first experience of community so that our sense of community is our grandparents and their stories that shape us. If you didn't have that and you might be adopted or fostered, or you might come from a broken home, it can be really difficult to connect with that. And so seeing a film like this, which looks at the power of family reunions, can be really emotional and inspiring. Did you have any apprehensions about making such a personal film?

 

IT’S A FAMILY THING is my own personal story. When my father reconnected with his brother and sister I saw a massive shift in him, meaning he felt this change come over him. I could feel that inside he was more calm and serene, he was more whole. As you said, not growing up with a solid community or family as a foundation is difficult, it was difficult for my father to have a sense of belonging that he could pass on to us. Therefore my family, which is just my mum, brother, and father, it was very difficult. We had some difficulties being together, it was a bit broken and then it broke at some point. When I met my family in America I discovered their family reunions, people gathering to celebrate family, bond, blood, lineage, ancestry, all that. I appreciated how much they welcomed us and supported us, and they gave us love. I thought, for me, it was mind-blowing because I didn't grow up with that. I realised that it was a tradition in the African-American culture, that it was much more than just a gathering and with some food and drinks, it was deeper than that. I wanted to discover and understand where this tradition came from.