Tribeca Fest 2023 Exclusive: Misty Copeland on her short film ‘Flower’
Making its World Premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival as a special event at Spring Studios, NYC is famed ballerina Misty Copeland's short film Flower.
Flower is a poignant take on community, belonging and intergenerational equity, directed by Lauren Finerman, in which Copeland stars and serves as producer. This film also marks the return to performance for Copeland after a multi-year hiatus.
It’s an immersive experience in movement storytelling that highlights intergenerational equity in the community of Oakland, California, featuring new, original music from Grammy-winning recording artist Raphael Saadiq. The cast includes Misty Copeland, Babatunji Johnson, Christina Johnson, Algerion "Krow" Bryant, Alonzo King, Richmond Talauega, Burwood Music Group.
Copeland spoke with Blackfilmandtv.com on the making of this project.
What made you decide to do this as your first project?
Misty Copeland: I formed Life in Motion productions, with my best friend, Leyla Fayyaz, who's a writer and producer. And we've been working on developing projects for the last six, seven years. It just so happened that this was the first one we really pushed through. So it wasn't so much that we chose this to be the first one. But it's what's organically happened. But it's a meaningful piece, especially at this point and stage in my career, where my whole goal and mission throughout the last 20 plus years of my career has really been to bring value to more people, to make it more accessible to diversify.
What better way than through phone, through television. And that's where I wanted to start the collection company. But this is really taking the concept of a classical ballet, where it's silent storytelling through movement and dance; by focusing on topics and social issues that are relevant. It can be relatable to so many communities. We're focusing on gentrification and the housing crisis in Oakland, California, homelessness. And also what it looks like to to be someone who's taking care of an elder family member and my character in the film, her mother has dementia and paralleling dementia with gentrification, that loss of community, loss of history, loss of memory. So it's amazing to take this new form of storytelling for film that I'm excited for you to see.
How was it getting back to dancing after three years?
Misty Copeland: It was interesting, because we shot this during the pandemic. I had naturally have taken a step away from the stage. And so it was amazing to come back in this way; in a way that makes sense for me. I felt like I was really saying something that mattered. I've been telling stories through the classical repertoire, stories that were created, written by composed by white men in the 1800s. So to be able to create something on my own, a women led company, women of color…to me, it's so remarkable one.
Nelson George is the executive producer of the film and along with others on the project have had a long standing relationship. Can you talk about the dynamic between you and the team?
Misty Copeland: Yeah, we've been collaborators, which is so important that it wasn't one person's idea. Marcus Gartley wrote the script for it, and gave us structure. But once we got into the studio, Alonzo King, choreographer, Rich + Tone Talauega, the choreographers, the director and everyone had a say in what this evolved into. We wanted it to make sense and for everyone to feel that they were bringing their best foot forward and this was a story that made sense.