22 Documentary (2022)

At the age of 22, I discovered that I was destined to be a filmmaker. I have always been strong at expressing myself through creative writing, poetry, and through video editing. During my senior year at Syracuse, I received a phone call from my father telling me that he discovered a box full of undeveloped tapes from my grandfather. The box of sealed tapes had been lost in storage for almost two decades. We were able to digitize the tapes that my grandfather left for me after he passed away in 2004. These tapes captured the most salient time in my family lineage from the 1960s through the 1980s . It gives a glimpse into my family’s love, happiness and appreciation for one another despite the inherent racial challenges and injustice associated with that era. My grandfather’s films document a unified, cohesive, and loving characterization of our family contrary to the negative portrayal of black families in the media today. For 22 years, I thought I was the only person in my family who had a passion for film, but I was wrong. It’s safe to say that this project has allowed me to stay in touch with my history and to reflect on who I am as a person. I was able to continue on my grandfather’s legacy by turning his clips into a documentary that I hope to one day show my grandchildren.