The Film and Directors
U People Synopsis
U People begins with the following disclaimer: “When you view this film do not make assumptions about anyone’s sexuality”. Once upon a time in a brownstone in Brooklyn—a music video was made—but not just one camera was rolling—and not just music was caught on tape?.The ‘Make a Move’ music video, which debuted on MTV’s LOGO, was the first of its kind to depict women of color across sexualities and gender expression. One house, two days, thirty women and trans folks of color bridged their differences in the creation of this video. U People is an accidental documentary where an entire cast and crew of 30 gay, straight women and trans folks of color were caught on camera behind the scenes of a not so typical music video shoot. What the camera caught will introduces a strong, candid and very human voice into the discussion of gay and straight relations and the diversity within the minority.Over the course of 2 days in a brownstone in Brooklyn a not so typical music video was shot. This video made history by being the only music video ever to fully feature gay women of color in an intimate, witty look at their lives. It was broadcast nationally on MTV’s Networks LOGO. The music video was Hanifah Walidah’s Make A Move and it was the backdrop of this equally historic documentary. The very candid, complex lives of the women in front and behind the camera during the shoot were caught on tape in raw behind the scenes footage. These people included women across sexualities and trans men of color. What these cameras revealed will open hearts and minds to women who are too often boxed and never fully realized in media.U People highlights intimate stories of struggle and triumph over prejudice, relationships between mothers and daughters, and civil rights. The mission of the documentary is to dismantle the blanket categorization and ignorance inherent in the phrase ?you people? by displaying unique individuals in possession of personal power and self-determination. It upholds the vision that camaraderie and sisterhood is vibrant and sustaining, though not always easy, among straight and gay women and gender non-conformists in the African diaspora.
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The Directors: Filmmakers, Hanifah Walidah and Olive Demetrius are both partners in art and in life. They first met new years of 2006 after a series of coincidental run ins. In just 3 months they were collaborating on Hanifah’s music video Make A Move which debuted on LOGO’s Click List January 2007. Make a Move set a precedent by featuring an all woman cast and crew of women of color both gay and straight and became the catalyst behind U People. They later collaborated in the 24 Hour Midnight Run where they had to write, cast, shoot, edit and score a short within 24 hours; that venture spawned the short True Grits. Hanifah the writer, musician and director and Olive, writer the cinematographer together form Sucka For Life and Single Handed Productions. Forthcoming projects include music video “Do You Mind” which is featured on the U People soundtrack, a documentary short about Black-American Moslem Girls who are now Gay Women and the screen adaptation of Hanifah’s heralded one-woman play “Black Folks Guide to Black Folks.
Hanifah Walidah began her film career from a labor of love while maintaining an online site, www.suckaforlife.com that featured a multitude of documentary, experimental and narrative film shorts; all of which were written, directed, edited and scored by Hanifah. She directed and edited a 3-minute short “True Grits” within a 24-hour period as apart of the NYC Midnight Run where it placed Best Of. She co-wrote the new and anticipated film “White Lies Black Sheep” from James Spooner, filmmaker of the internationally awarded documentary Afropunk. IN spring of 2006, Hanifah produced, wrote and directed a film short masquerading as a music video for her single “Make a Move”. This video would be a first of its kind that depicted gay women of color in a celebratory, complex and witty manner. It debuted on LOGO’s New Now Next and then the moved to Click List at #4. It still remains on the countdown.
Olive Demetrius’ interest in film began as a love for communication. The accomplished image can convey a time, place and the intensity of emotion. There is a standard that she adheres to that comes across in each piece. Her recent projects have included two music videos for recording artist Hanifah Walidah, for the singles Make A Move and Do You Mind. Her most recent work with the group BFE Sound System is a document of their inaugural tour in this configuration of the band. She traveled with them during their thirteen day, four country European tour. Olive Demetrius has worked for the Lucy Awards program that recognizes outstanding achievements in photography. Her work included conducting interviews of outstanding individuals such as Jerry Schatzberg, Susan Calhoun-Moss, Charlie Moss, Barney Melsky all to honor advertising legend Howard Zeiff. As apart of a program which National Black Programming Consortium and LOGO MTV Networks have teamed up to provide, Olive Demetrius has been provided the opportunity to assist the production and creative departments at LOGO. There she has served as camera operator for the New Now Next shoot featuring Annie Lenox, The Big Gay Sketch Show and a Cadillac promo. Olive Demetrius’ work in documentary includes shooting on location in Caracas, Venezuela during the filming of Bringing Venezuela Back. This piece focused on the World Festival of Youth and Students. Her work has been screened throughout New York City at Brecht Forum, The Cantor Film Center, and MNN.
U People Documentary Advisory Committee
Ntozake Shange, Author, For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide. Jasmyne Cannick, Community Activist, NBJC, Producer of Noah’s Arc Marquita Thomas, Producer of Serrafemme Music Fest, Los Angeles Tim’m West, Author, Poet, Activist Katina Parker, GLADD Keith Boykin, Author & Activist Lisa Moore, CEO, Red Bone Press Debra Wilson, Producer of Oakland International LGBT Film Fest, InsideBlast and Jengotv.com Pam Penniston, ED, Queer Cultural Center, San Francisco
