Each year, the BlackStar Film Festival celebrates the work of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people from around the world. In this year’s lineup (presented virtually), we were thrilled to see Staff Picked creators like Garrett Bradley, Savanah Leaf, and Rachel Harrison Gordon among many others recognized for their extraordinary work.
This year also marks the first Vimeo Staff Pick Award at BlackStar. We’re excited to present the award to filmmaker Curtis Essel for his stunning experimental film “ALLUMUAH,” produced by Nowness. Inspired by his late grandmother’s stories, the film weaves proverbs from four African tribes with vivid images and digitally created worlds. It is a journey that pays homage to culture, identity, and digital creativity.
We reached out to Curtis ahead of the release on Vimeo to learn about the film and his creative process. Read on for excerpts from our conversation.
On the inspiration for the film:
“The film stems from the memory of my late grandmother who went by the name Allumuah [pronounced: ‘A-Loom-Wah’], meaning ‘leader’ in Nzima. She was admired by many as an oral storyteller and a great community elder. Her mere example set the tone in why I came back home to her hometown of Ghana to create this film, in honor of her memory.”
On the writing process:
“This was such a sentimental project. So I wanted to bring my close friend Dami Khadijah, a Creative Strategist in the commercial world, on board. Dami has always been a gifted wordsmith. She’s particularly known for speaking in parables to convey her message even during conversation. She always wanted to do a project where the entire visual film was spoken and based around African proverbs. She’d done some research into languages and thought this was the perfect opportunity to depict this wider message.
The use of non-English narration was intentional so it was clear who our message was to. It was also to avoid the use of what many understand to be ‘plain language.’ Proverbs, parables, and fables are an ancient form of storytelling across Africa, and are still very much in use today.”
On the visual influences:
“I really began to delve into the world of film photography while I was at university. I shamefully spent most of my student loan on buying and developing different rolls of film. Every time the shutter was pressed, I knew it had to be meaningful. That’s where I began to hone in on mastering framing. I’m still on that journey making every frame the best it can be.
Visual references from Felicia Abban, James Barnor, Samuel Fosso, and many more African artists heavily informed the overall aesthetic of this visual. Paying homage to these artists was essential when exploring themes of connectivity and communication passed down between artists over the years.”
On the styling and cinematography:
“I used some of my mother’s and grandfather’s traditional clothing and worked with the ever-so-talented stylist PC Williams. There was no way this film could’ve been executed without her input. She was present every step of the way, and it was a blessing that she was able to come on board.
As a cinematographer, I was inclined to film ‘ALLUMUAH’ myself, especially as it is such a personal and sentimental film. However, I serendipitously came across Kofi Asante’s work. After we got acquainted, I was certain that he’d film the project. It was a great experience learning from him and his wealth of knowledge, for which I’ll be eternally grateful for.”
On the animated scenes:
“The purpose of this film was to celebrate the internet as a place of inspiration, collaboration, and connection. It’s a tool that has facilitated the evolution of this explosion of digitally-led creativity. Kojo Ampo, a motion designer based in Ghana, and his animations were a perfect fit.
His designs were used as a form of transportation, taking the audience on a journey into another realm as we explore and celebrate those different themes mentioned above.”
On the goal for the film:
“The film intends to challenge Africans across the world to reflect on their own lives and revise what they think they know about their heritage, and subsequently about their ‘true self’ and ‘identity.’ Proverbs from multiple African languages, including cultural references, are incorporated in the film to expound on the significance of our commonalities.
Simply put,‘ALLUMUAH’ is a love letter to all Africans around the globe, championing the idea of unity for Africa’s dignity, progress and prosperity.”
