Private Project

Never Came Back

NEVER CAME BACK is a simple story about a woman, Lucinda, who is caught in a love triangle with her past, her present and her future. At the center of her overall dilemma is her desire for home ownership. But home ownership may force her to make a tough decision that could result in a crucial change of course in her life.

  • Jeremiah OC Jahi
    Director
  • Jeremiah OC Jahi
    Writer
  • Jacques Durand
    Producer
  • Andre Mtumi
    Key Cast
  • Ryss
    Key Cast
  • Brian Keith Allen
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 21 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 27, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Gary International Film Festival 2017
    Gary, Indiana
    Audience Award for Best Feature
Director Biography - Jeremiah OC Jahi

JEREMIAH JAHI [Actor, Writer, Director,] hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, graduated cum laude from The City University of New York: Brooklyn College where he studied, Africana Studies, Political Science and theater. Jeremiah later received a graduate degree in Sociology from The City University of New York: City College. Prior to pursuing a career as an artist, Jeremiah, a proud recipient of the Frances E. Williams Artist Grant, spent time in the United States Marine Corps where he served in The Gulf War (code name Operation Desert Storm). It is this choice to join the Marine Corps that he says, changed his life for the better forever.

In 2005, Jeremiah formed Soldier Filmworks, as a production company banner to create his own independent media projects. Also, that year to expand his skills as a filmmaker, Jeremiah began taking continuing education classes in film production and theory at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, which he would continue to do so for three years. Not long after starting SVA, he wrote, directed, and starred in the short film, The Meeting, which went on to screen at over 25 festivals with 4 wins (Arizona Black Film Showcase 2006, Cine Noir, now North Carolina Black Film Festival 2006, Texas Black Film Festival 2007, and Newark Black Film Fest 2008).

Currently, Jeremiah is proud to release his debut feature film as writer/director called, NEVER CAME BACK. In a addition to Never Came Back, Jeremiah has several feature scripts (Brooklyn Changes, Daddy and Me, The Recruiter) as well as several short scripts (Running For My Life, Jesus Detectives, The Table, Dignity, Dining Hall Desert, Zebra Night, and We’re Out Of Black Make-up) already written. Along with this, Jeremiah is developing a slate of children’s books, as well as a documentary that will shoot in his hometown of Atlanta in the fall of 2016.

Jeremiah is holding true to his motto , “KEEP MOVING.”

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Director Statement

For many Americans, in numerous ways, the 21st century is about the struggle to grab a piece of the American Dream or to recapture it. More specifically, the ownership of land and/or a home represents a significant opportunity to partake in that dream, especially for Americans of older generations. For those with a hearty helping of education in their bellies, such lofty aspirations are truly possible. However, for those lacking education, the possibility of owning a home or land is on life support.
In my mind, at the core, this film is an American story. With a Black family at the center, living their lives in urban America during the age of the Obama years, this story is about family. About having to make choices. About grappling with change. About the past, the present and the future.
Considering my life history, as someone that grew up in inner city U.S.A., is a Christ-follower and a Marine veteran, I wanted to write a story that represents, in part, the lives of the disinherited that I remember. They were my family members, my close friends, as well as my neighbors. Although a feeling of marginalization existed for these people, they were similar to other people who were not disinherited or marginalized. They worked hard. They had goals and dreams. They had talents that went unfulfilled. They served their country in crisis. They laughed. They cried. They were Americans.