Daryl Bright premiers her acclaimed film "Black Girl Poem"

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Mar 1

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Exclusive interview with the poet and filmmaker

When art and social activism merge, the world is able to see both beauty and cultural significance in its results. With "Black Girl Poem", Daryl Bright captures this vibe perfectly, as the short film will surely be the basis of necessary dialogue going forward. Bright takes a surrealist approach for the visual, and through dance, spoken word and animation, she holds a mirror up to the the power dynamic of sexual harassment within the African American community. The film has made its rounds in the festival circuit, receiving recognition from the American Black Film Festival, HBO's Inspiration Room, SIMA Studios Social Impact Awards, and AT&T's Film Awards, among others.

Hailing from the DMV, Daryl Bright made the move to NYC and has hit the ground running with co starring roles in two CBS shows, Instinct and The Good Fight. She is a regular on NYC's spoken word scene and helps write, produce, and star in CNT's sketch comedy series, "Not Your Type." On the eve of Black Girl Poem's official release, we spoke to her about her acclaimed film and the process that made it a reality. Check out the film and interview below!

https://youtu.be/1LGJ7GMmiBw

1. First off can you tell us about the lightbulb moment for Black Girl Poem? Was it a specific cat call that sparked the idea? Or was it an idea that was brewing for a while?

Well the poem came first. I had just moved to New York in the summer (prime catcalling season as I’m sure you know), and I went to a park in my neighborhood to reflect in my journal. But it seemed like everytime I put my head down to write, I would get catcalled by a man in the park. From there, on that bench in the park, the poetry flew onto the paper. I, of course, edited and shaped it a little, later on. After performing the piece at open mics and getting rave reviews, I was inspired to make this text more accessible to the masses and, that’s when I began to reach out to my team of creatives.

Black woman poets

2. How did you go about bringing together the team for the film, from the performers to the crew, producer etc?

Well most of the team started off as my friends and friends of friends. Women who were not only talented but passionate about the words, and related to the piece. It wasn’t until later, when I was struggling to find the right editor for such an experimental piece that I brought on my collaborator Ariel Zucker, who speaks the same creative language as me. From there, we knew this piece needed an additional layer to bring more life to the piece. That is when we brought on the animator, Kayeon Chin, who went to the same college as us.

black poet

"After performing the piece at open mics and getting rave reviews, I was inspired to make this text more accessible to the masses and, that’s when I began to reach out to my team of creatives."

3. What do you hope someone who sees the film walks away with in regards to the power dynamic of sexual harassment within the African American community?

I try not to expect anything. I think the best part of experimental film is the ability for anything to be up for interpretation. My message in this piece is clear. It’s up to the viewer to take it how they may. But, I do hope that women walk away not feeling victimized but, empowered.

black lives matter

4. What's been the most rewarding moment about the process itself? How has it been to see your work screened in festivals everywhere?

Having it screened at festivals and seeing it in theaters has been hella dope but the most rewarding part of it all was completing the shoot. This was the first short I’ve ever written, directed, produced, and performed in so watching this concept come to life, with little resources, was more satisfying than I could have imagined. It’s an adrenaline rush like no other.

black poets

"This was the first short I’ve ever written, directed, produced, and performed in so watching this concept come to life, with little resources, was more satisfying than I could have imagined."

5. What's next for you? What are some social issues that you're looking to explore in your work going forward?

We at CNT Productions always have something brewing up that offers commentary on pressing social issues. You can watch out for our parody commercial: Dietary PSA and OPEN’s This is Not a Love Letter coming out soon. Subscribe to us on YouTube: YouTube.com/cntproductions and Instagram: @imarealcnt to stay up to date with our socially charged CUNTent!

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