Black + Belonging
Black + Belonging (Francesca Ekwuyasi, 2019)
I chose Francesca Ekwuyaski’s Black + Belonging to precede Becoming Labrador for two main reasons.
Firstly, I found that Francesca’s interviews with her three subjects were handled with much skill and compassion. She was able to keep the focus of the interviews on the themes that she was interested in exploring, while at the same time allowing her subjects to fully express themselves. She had clearly developed trusting relationships with her interviewees prior so that the interviews felt relaxed, vulnerable and surprising. Even her choice of subjects were inspired, each breaking stereotypes in their own way. Great interviews are the foundation of many great documentaries and the skill required to achieve a genuine connection cannot be understated.
Secondly, I felt that Black + Belonging had strong thematic connections to Becoming Labrador. Both films in their own way explore the themes of home and of identity, particularly from the perspective of the “outsider”. Although Becoming Labrador looks at new arrivals to Canada--specifically Filipino migrant workers in Labrador--and Black + Belonging tackles Black Nova Scotian artists, both films are preoccupied with the struggle of finding a sense of home in somewhat hostile environments. Filipinos are new immigrants to Labrador, contending with extreme differences in climate from their homeland and the separation from their loved ones, so their search for belonging is hardly surprising. Black Nova Scotians, on the other hand, have been in the province for generations, so the fact that home and identity continue to pre-occupy their thoughts due to historical marginalization and under-representation, is profoundly revealing.
Francesca Ekwuyasi and Rohan Fernando joined us for a DRIFF Directors Chat to discuss their filmmaking processes and how their two documentaries came to be. Watch the whole video for their insights on creating meaningful relationships with their documentary subjects, letting “what the universe is giving you” guide the story, and how their own experiences of immigration influenced their films.