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Cause and Effect by #PixandPoetry

#PixandPoetry is Ashanti As Hell's sensual video series exploring stories of life, love, and lust through poetry and visuals. Since 2018, this innovative showcase has captivated audiences with its provocative tales of passion and intimacy.

Now, after a four year hiatus, #PixandPoetry makes its epic return with "Cause and Effect" - a split-screen triptych following a young melanin couple at odds, yet striving to rebuild their bond. With a combination of subtle cinematic grids, we follow the fragility of a relationship near breaking, where both partners are feeling "this could be the end."

However, vowing “we have to do better,” the couple evolves to grow through empathy, compromise and grace. As we traverse the harsh black-and-white of their past troubles into the saturated blue hues of the present day, we bear witness to the storms they weather as one. Blurring boundaries between recollection, reality and future hopes, "Cause and Effect" reveals the nonlinear poetry of how compassion and communication can nurture a deeper love, even after the ravages of time.

  • Ashanti Dickerson
    Director
  • Ashanti Dickerson
    Writer
  • Ashanti Dickerson
    Producer
  • Cassius Tae
    Key Cast
  • Toan Nguyen
    Director Of Photography
  • Leo Allen ll
    Director Of Photography
  • Leo Allen ll
    Editors
  • Ashanti Dickerson
    Editors
  • Saul Ramirez
    Assistant/BTS
  • 8EEN
    Music Producer
  • Cassius Tae
    Music Trailer Credit
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 26, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital Sony's 24, 50, and 80mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ashanti Dickerson

My creative journey began in the heart of Chicago. After earning a Kinesiology degree from San Diego State University in 2017, I returned home establishing my massage therapy business, Strictly Clinically Massage. But my true calling was discovering my voice through #PixandPoetry - a sensual video series inspired by real life, gaining recognition from music icons like Ari Lennox.

This led me to launch As Hell Entertainment Prod. Co, directing films for local hip hop artists like Cassius Tae and stars including TINK and Polo G. As a rising social media influencer with a natural afro and humor I've not only captured modeling gigs with major brands like Mielle Organics, but I was invited and hired on tour by thought leader 19Keys as lead media coordinator and traveling therapist.

Now after a 4-year hiatus, I'm ready to evolve my niche poetry into visionary cinema, weaving together my creative thoughts into imaginative films that speak to the human soul. For this passionate Chicago native turned massage therapist, model, influencer and artistic director; my journey has just begun.

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Director Statement

As a director, I strive to craft cinematic poetry - films that immerse viewers in emotional yet entertaining experiences through impactful dialogue, striking visuals, and nonlinear storytelling. I want my work to capture the rawness, contradictions, and complexities of life.

With "Cause and Effect," I specifically sought to explore the fragility of intimate bonds, the inner battles between past and present, and the nonlinear nature of personal growth. This film examines how early traumas shape us, how the weight of words can haunt us, and how active compassion, empathy and understanding are needed to truly reconnect.

Visually, the three-part split screen structure allows the audience to simultaneously inhabit multiple perspectives. The color palette moves from stark black-and-white memories to richer, more saturated moments of meaning. This provocative form matches the film's themes of fragmentation giving way to wholeness when we make the choice to heal.

Ultimately I aimed to craft an emotional, sensory experience affirming that cycles can change, seasons pass, and love has the power to renew when nurtured with forgiveness. This film marks a new chapter in my own creative evolution, and I hope its poetic exploration of relationships resonates universally.