Experiencing Interruptions?

I AM HOPE

An insightful documentary about a resilient community coming together to create the first yoga and mindfulness class in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Middle Schools. Working collaboratively with staff and administration, yoga instructor ShakaJamal develops strong relationships with youth who are receiving their first in-school instruction of yoga and mindfulness. Through a challenging school year, students are engaged in a range of mindfulness activities that transform them from mindful learners to mindful leaders.

  • ShakaJamal
    Director
    Conquered
  • ShakaJamal
    Producer
  • Wendy Martinez-Marroquin
    Producer
  • Victoria
    Key Cast
  • ShakaJamal
    Key Cast
  • Steven Goodin
    Editor
  • Steven Goodin
    Cinematographer
  • Wendy Martinez-Marroquin
    Cinematographer
  • Jalia Noble-Burks
    Cinematographer
  • ShakaJamal
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 4 minutes 28 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 9, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cannes International Pan African Film Festival
    Cannes
    France
    October 23, 2022
    European
  • Cannes
    France
    October 23, 2022
    French
Director Biography - ShakaJamal

ShakaJamal is a culturally innovative artist and filmmaker from Oakland, California. He is the founder of Olu8 Film & Culture and Olu8 Records; creative spaces for the production of dynamic sound, story and visuals. His passion for film and music grew through travel and while living in South Africa. Partnering with community members, non-profits and corporations, ShakaJamal’s work reveals the inspiring achievements of change makers—whose stories often go untold.

He is the camera operator for the Emmy Award winning documentary We AreThe Dream: The Kids of the Martin Luther King Oratorical Fest, produced by HBO and Mahershala Ali. He is also the first filmmaker from Oakland, CA to receive the Game Changers Fellowship which led him to premiere a series of short documentaries in New York at Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. His work has premiered both nationally and internationally, on television, and in numerous film festivals.

In addition, ShakaJamal is a 200 Hour Certified Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher and CFO (Chief Flexibility Officer) of Namaste Ready; a co-op that provides yoga and self care healing practices designed to activate and support the healing powers of the Black Community. He is a graduate of Tuskegee University and earned a Master’s of Fine Arts in Cinema from San Francisco State University.

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Director Statement

As I sat within the first few months of the quarantine in 2020, I thought to myself, “What ever happened to all that film footage that was shot of me leading yoga at Frick Impact Academy?” It then dawned upon me that I had to do everything I could to track down the footage and create a film about my experience of being a yoga instructor in one of the most challenging and rewarding middle schools in all of Oakland.

I tracked down camera crews, guest instructors, administrators, staff, students and anyone who could have footage of the classes. I even recruited one of the film crews to help me create the film and come on to the team as an editor and producer.

As we put the film together I became overwhelmed with gratitude for the effort the students put in, gratitude for the staff and administration and gratitude for simply being a part of such a groundbreaking initiative. My hope for the students is that they can take what they learned while being with me and apply that to any aspect of their life that will eventually benefit their personal lives, family, community and this entire world.