Private Project

a film called black: King's Speech

‘a film called black’ is an evolving film. Each screening presents different elements to an ongoing conversation. Blackness. ‘King’s Speech’ is a short film that resides within the entirety of ‘a film called black.’ ‘King’s Speech’ centers around the conversation of Blackness - What is Blackness? Who gets to define it? Additionally asking Black father’s what it means to be a king? All while telling the parallel story of Chicago artist Cam Be & Neak’s creation of the song and visual story of ‘King’s Speech.’

The narrative aspect of the film adorns different black faces with custom crowns made by artist Simone Yael.

  • Cam Be
    Director
    The Exchange, Where Flowers Bloom
  • Cam Be
    Producer
    The Exhange, Where Flowers Bloom
  • Neak
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Music Video
  • Genres:
    Documentary, evolving film, black film
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Cam Be

Cam Be is a film director, photographer, musician, DJ and music producer. His central passion for filmmaking emerged during his studies at New York Film Academy (2006) and Columbia College in Chicago (2008-2010).
In 2012 Cam received an Emmy award for his role as producer with NBC Chicago. His first feature length documentary "The Exchange" is available online at Amazon Video. His short documentary "Where Flowers Bloom," the making of the Grammy Nominated Hip-Hop album 'Laila's Wisdom' by Rapsody was released on Tidal in 2018.
May 11, 2018 Cam debuted his first solo photo exhibition So I Wrote Love in the Sky at Good Details Gallery in Chicago, IL, later showing at Spectrum Miami at Art Basel in 2018. His first solo album 7 Steps to 7 was released May 2018 as a soundtrack to the exhibition and is currently available on all music streaming platforms. In second solo album ‘Summer in September’ released in 2020.
Currently, Cam Be is working on a documentary titled "Project: Building Hope" which was a part of Kartemquin's Diverse Voices in Docs Program. He is a 2022-2023 resident at the Green Line Performing Arts Center in Chicago with his musical film titled ‘a film called black.’ He is based out of Chicago and is the Owner and Creative Director of Camovement.

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Director Statement

King’s Speech began with a question: What does it mean to be a king? Not in the mythic sense, but in the everyday realities of being Black, being a father, being seen.

As a filmmaker and musician, I’ve always been drawn to the space where image, sound, and story overlap. King’s Speech lives in that intersection. It’s a meditation on Black identity, built from real conversations, real voices, and the layered process of creating music that speaks to something bigger than us. Working with Neak on the song, and with collaborators like Simone Yael on the visual language, allowed this project to grow into something more than just a short film—it became a living archive of thought, rhythm, and intention.

This film is also personal. As a father, as a Black man, I carry these questions with me every day. This isn’t a documentary from the outside looking in—it’s from the inside looking deeper. King’s Speech is a reflection of where we are, and where we’re imagining ourselves to be.

– Cam Be