Private Project

Cypher

CYPHER follows three Black artists working to empower youth of African descent in Vancouver, BC – a city known for its historical erasure of Black history and culture. Through urban agriculture, performance, and community conversations, Kor, Dae & Alisha create spaces for youth to connect, co-inspire, and discuss the complexities of the Black experience.

  • Mariam Ingrid Barry
    Director
    Snowpiercer (Actor) Legacy (Director, Screenwriter, Actor)
  • Eva Anandi Brownstein
    Director
    Tayybeh (Director) Jumbo Wild (Cinematographer) Accomplice (Cinematographer)
  • Dae Shields
    Key Cast
    "ebonEmpress"
  • Moses Andeku
    Key Cast
    "Kor Kase"
  • Alisha Lettman
    Key Cast
  • Milena Salazar
    Editor
    Highway To Heaven, Do I Have Boobs Now?
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    21 minutes 39 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    18,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mariam Ingrid Barry, Eva Anandi Brownstein

CYPHER was co-directed by longtime friends and collaborators Mariam Barry and Eva Anandi Brownstein.

Mariam Barry is a biracial multimedia artist of Norwegian and African descent. Her creative work as an actor, writer, theatre artist, filmmaker, and producer, is grounded in her experience as a Third Culture Kid. As an early career artist who works globally, Mariam's work is both youth and Afrocentric. She is a recipient of the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative 2021, and is currently in production and development for several motion picture projects. Mariam holds a BFA in Acting from the University of British Columbia, and is a film editor and youth arts facilitator with Reel Youth where she mentors emerging filmmakers in their documentary and narrative film productions.

Eva Anandi Brownstein was raised between the mountains of Northern India and Nelson, BC, and now lives and creates on Coast Salish territory. Her diverse interests have lead her through a wide range of media landscapes – from National Film Board documentaries to mountain adventure films to storytelling for social impact throughout Africa and Asia. In her work as Cinematographer and Director she finds inspiration in giving voice to underrepresented peoples and issues, and sharing stories of resilience.

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