#BlackAtSMU
#BlackAtSMU is an experimental documentary that uses an amalgamation of dramatic retellings, experimental explorations, and investigative interviews to explore a critical question: what is it like to be a Black student at a Predominantly White Institution? The film depicts five Black students’ encounters with racism at Southern Methodist University, a private college in Dallas, Texas. The stories explored originate from the hashtag “BlackatSMU” which trended on Twitter in the summer of 2020 following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. They range from a student-athlete navigating the lonely confines of becoming an activist in a suppressive system to Black students evacuating campus after fraternity brothers shouted racial slurs following Trump’s election.
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Aysia LaneDirector
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Crislyn FaysonDirector
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Jillian TaylorProducer
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RaSun KazadiKey Cast"RaSun Kazadi"
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Kaleb MulugetaKey Cast"Kaleb Mulugeta"
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Anga SandersKey Cast"Anga Sanders"
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Kayla EarlKey Cast"Lauren"
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Tharmella NyahozaKey Cast"Brandi"
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Caleb MosleyKey Cast"Kaleb"
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Marcus BaldwinKey Cast"Marcus Baldwin"
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Lauren SteeleKey Cast"Lauren Steele"
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Tramaine TownsendDirector of Photography
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José Benjamín Pérez GonzálezEditors
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Tramaine TownsendEditors
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John James TourvilleComposers
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MakshaComposers
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Everton MeloAssistant Producer
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Shara JeyarajahAssistant Director
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short, Student
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Runtime:34 minutes 7 seconds
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Completion Date:November 1, 2021
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Production Budget:17,400 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Southern Methodist University
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Charlotte Black Film FestivalCharlotte, North Carolina
United States
June 23, 2022
Official Selection -
National Black Film FestivalHouston, Texas
United States
June 11, 2022
Best Student Film -
The Impact DOCS Awards
Official Selection -
Oak Cliff Film FestivalOak Cliff, Texas
United States
June 24, 2022
Special Jury Mention -
Blow-Up Arthouse FilmfestChicago
United States
January 8, 2023
Semi-Finalist -
Gary International Black Film FestivalGary, Indiana
United States
October 7, 2022
Official Selection -
The March on Washington Film FestivalWashington D.C.
United States
September 28, 2022
Official Selection -
Dallas International Film FestivalDallas, Texas
United States
October 14, 2022
Official Selection -
Reels on Human Relations Film FestivalNormann, Oklahoma
United States
October 5, 2022
People's Choice
Co-directors Aysia Lane and Crislyn Fayson are writers and directors from Texas who attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Lane is pursuing a B.A. in Film and a B.A. in Journalism. She intends to leverage this combination to pursue documentary-style projects that challenge social norms and make people “uncomfortable” enough to inspire communal change. Fayson is pursuing a B.F.A in Theater and a B.A. in Film. She has a robust portfolio in theatrical and cinematic directing, ranging from her debut short film, “Black Beauty,” to her most recent project, “Two Worlds”. As collaborators, Lane and Fayson utilize their unique areas of expertise to craft fresh and imaginative documentary work that explores the unseen truth of their subjects.
When you walk into a classroom at Southern Methodist University, as a Black student, you will likely be the only one. What is that like? How does that feel? What are the implications of such ostracization outside of the classroom, on our campus and so many others?
The Twitter hashtag “BlackAtSMU” allowed students a public forum to share their experiences of racism and discrimination. We have distilled these stories down to five points of interest that we feel best represent aspects of being Black at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI).
Each of the five ‘chapters’ in the film takes a distinct approach. One uses a dance number to depict the power dynamics between white and Black classmates. Another uses emotionally intimate interviews to depict the loneliness of activism in a suppressive system. Each chapter is specifically tailored to capture the emotions and memories of that story. Additionally, there is no discernible ending in any of the chapters, and that is intentional. The subjects of our film are still living out their stories, both on and off campus. We determined that, just like each of the subjects in the film, the viewer will not get closure.
We want to make you uncomfortable. Uncomfortable with the state of our campus. Uncomfortable with the greater world around you. The reality of casual and violent racism presented in #BlackAtSMU stretches far beyond the borders of SMU and Dallas. There is work to be done, and great things lie on the other side of discomfort. Comfort is the sister to complacency and complacency kills change. We will not be complacent. We demand the same of our viewers. #BlackAtSMU will leave you unsettled to the point of curiosity, inspiration, confrontation, and, hopefully, communal change.