While normally we like to part with closing advice here at No Film School's interview hub, I'd like to switch it up and open with some of my favorite yet from African Giants writer-director Omar S. Kamara: It's okay, even sometimes good, to be sad. African Giants is very much a movie in what I like to call the "walk and talk" genre (a genre I love and adore). It's a tale of two brothers working through an emotionally hard time and figuring out a lifetime of emotional baggage along the way. It's really great, very raw, and autobiographical to Omar's life. The autobiographical nature of Slamdance Audience Award Winner African Giants lends itself to speaking from the heart with emotional truth, and it shows. Below, you can read some excerpts from our chat with Omar on his influences (Blue Valentine, oof), finding community among filmmakers, setting out and staying true to your merits as an indie filmmaker, and, once more, that it's okay to cry. Editor's note: The following interview quotes are edited for length and clarity. Viewer discretion advised. Never Give Up On Your Filmmaking Dreams—Even If You're From Virginia "My parents are originally from Sierra Leone in West Africa. I was born and raised in Virginia, and so if you know anything about Immigrant parents, we're supposed to be doctors, lawyers, or engineers. And my older sister is actually a surgeon. She's literally now just finishing her residency. So that was provided a lot of complications for me...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Friday, 3 May, 2024