Towards the beginning of May, I was granted the amazing opportunity to work with director, writer, and filmmaker B. Monét. She directed a film project featuring a piece I did as a part of Girls Write Now, which is a writing and mentoring organization for girls and gender non-conforming youth.
Although we spent less than twelve hours together, I was genuinely touched by B and the atmosphere she created on set with seeming effortlessness. She directed me and the crew with care, openness, humor, and flexibility, keeping everyone’s spirits up and smiles on, while also maintaining her professionalism and commitment to her vision.
As the time came to choose an article for the next issue of Intermission, interviewing B seemed to be the obvious choice. Although she was in the middle of a vacation, B let me pick her brain for an hour with the good humor she seems to carry around everywhere. Our conversation ranged from her personal journey in film to her identity as a black female director, and what she hopes to see from the filmmaking industry in the years to come.
How much of your childhood is present in your artistry and your work?
“I had always been an artsy child- always doing arts and crafts, being creative. I always loved English and science a lot growing up, because I felt like with English you can be very imaginative, and it takes you to different worlds. With Science, I liked the cosmic elements about it, and the order. I liked things having order, and I liked things being chaotic and free and abstract. I always gravitated towards those subjects growing up.
“I remember in third grade, I had to make a memory box, and I loved making this memory box because I had my favorite things in there -- I loved my grandmother’s mirror, so I had that in there, for example. It’s filled with all these memories that I’ve had throughout my childhood. I never knew that this little box that I made in third grade would be so present, still, in my life and in my world.
“I’m glad I was given the ability to roam free, and I think more kids need to be able to be weird, and be able to be themselves. If I hadn’t had access to art, I really don’t know if I would be an artist today.”
You mentioned your grandmother -- how has your family impacted your work and your identity?
“My grandmother was one of my soulmates -- I was very, very, very close to her. I spent a lot of time at her house when I was growing up. She taught me so many lessons about being myself and being fearless and speaking up, and also being kind to others. She was very much a matriarch and a community leader. I think I get a lot of my personality from her; a little bit of her feistiness and her flair. I think I wouldn’t be who I am today without her.
“And my parents, of course. They’re not artists, but they've been very supportive of me going down this line of work. At first it wasn’t like that, but they did turn around, and they’ve been my biggest supporters; always asking me about my films, showing up to film festivals. They even showed up in NYU, when I won Best Screenplay for a film that I wrote. I’ve been thankful to have a lot of family support.
“It wasn’t always like that, though. I studied abroad in Italy, and I told my parents after studying abroad: ‘Oh, I think I actually want to go into film,’ and they thought that I had lost my mind. They were like, ‘Oh, you want to be a starving artist? You want that?’ I think me getting into NYU definitely helped with that.”
And you went to Italy when you were at Spelman?
“Yes. I went to highschool in Maryland, and then to Spelman, which is in Georgia, and then my junior year, I went to Italy -- and I definitely recommend people study abroad, because I feel like I became a global citizen from the experience -- I watched a lot of Italian cinema. Fellini, Bicycle Thieves, 8 ½, all these different people and films I had never known about. Between that and taking a creative writing class, those things really sparked my interest in going into film. At that time, I also shot a documentary with my friends….and all these things made me reassess and consider pursuing film instead of journalism.”
I know you’ve written a lot of the films you’ve directed -- how are those two things linked for you?
“I love writing what I direct. I don’t always do that, but I think there's something nice about being the creator, the one who’s envisioning the story in their head, writing it down….You can also make changes on the day, as well as direct. It’s all from you, your brain, your vision, your overlook. When you work with other people, they have to really trust that you're going to elevate their project, and you’re going to steer it in the right direction. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right partnership. People can be so obsessed with their words and characters that it doesn’t allow you to do your job as a director."
What do you look for when collaborating with people on projects?
“I look for people who have an openness to them. They have the script written and memorized, but they’re still willing to be spontaneous and impulsive. I prefer people who aren't so rigid -- yes, the script is written out, but if what you’re giving me in front of my face is so much better than the script, then let’s honor that. Yes, let’s have the script, but we don’t have to be beholden to the script. Otherwise, it might keep you down, it might feel forced.
I like to be very involved with other people; the DP, the production designer…. Having a lot of communication about the project, hearing each other’s take on the project and arriving at a place where everyone feels comfortable. The best collaborators help to elevate what you have in your head. They might have a different thought around it, but they’re helping to ultimately give you what you need.”
Tell me about your experience at NYU.
“I was super young coming into NYU. I went straight out of undergrad to grad school, with no break. A lot of the movies I grew up with were black niche films: Love and Basketball, Space Jam, and I was coming into this high-brow, intellectual space that was very problematic for me. Being young, being black, being a woman -- I didn’t feel supported except for a few faculty members. Collectively, I didn’t feel like it was a safe space for me to create.
“It’s hard because maybe I did need that space in order to understand how hard it is for black women in film. Maybe it was a necessary boot camp. It’s sad, though, because film schools and arts schools are supposed to be a safe space, a cocoon from the world. But I didn’t really feel protected. I didn’t feel like my classmates even wanted me to be successful. It was a very competitive, toxic atmosphere. As soon as you leave the room, you don’t know how people are talking about you.”
Is there anything you wish you’d done or approached differently?
“The only thing I wish I had done differently was educate myself on more filmmakers that I just didn’t know. We all are the sums of parts, meaning that I needed that experience so that I could be where I am and who I am today. I just wished I had known more about these legendary filmmakers and films, and been more of a cinephile -- which I’m still working on.
“At the end of the day, though, my mistakes are my mistakes and they inform you. I did try to forge a lot of community outside of NYU and outside of my film program. For aspiring filmmakers -- watch films all over the world, watch a filmmakers’ projects chronologically. Be on as many sets as possible, because that’s really where you’re gonna learn the most.”
How did your experience at NYU influence the kind of space you try to create on set?
“I made a film at NYU called Q.U.E.E.N., and that is still one of my favorite experiences directing. Everybody on the set was different colors, different walks of life, different spices, and that’s the world I live in. I try to make sure that I continue to create spaces that cultivate diversity and true inclusion. I love giving opportunities to new people, whether it be in front of the camera, behind the camera. My experience at NYU really pushed me to be very intentional about the collaborators I choose.
“In terms of how people I went to school with view me now, they largely underestimated me, and still do. People don’t see what you do in the dark to get where you are. The networking you do, the meetings you’re constantly attending, all the running around….With my film Q.U.E.E.N, I would submit to ten film festivals a night, with a trailer, stills, a cover letter….over four weeks. I’ve done a lot to be where I am, and I’m very grateful.”
Can you talk about Q.U.E.E.N.?
“That’s the film I’ve always wanted to make into a feature. It’s about a young woman who is sexually assaulted, and she uses rap as an outlet to express her pain. I love when girls, and especially girls of color, take agency of our pain. We don’t let what happened to us define us. We acknowledge what happened, we go to therapy, we do the work -- and healing is not linear -- but we’re also like ‘I’m not just that thing. I am more than this event.’
“For me, that’s always been an anchor in regards to my work. I love creating stories about women taking ownership of their humanity and who they are, and not feeling limited by the chains of society or other people's actions. That’s always so important to me.
“Q.U.E.E.N. is a very special project, and I really hope that one day soon, it will be a full feature film. That would make me so happy.”
When I saw you last, you said “We need more female directors!” -- and I think especially women of color. What work do you think needs to be done in that area and how are you contributing to that work?
“I have a lot of mentees, mostly women and POC. I’m always extending the olive branch, keeping it really real about my experience and what I feel like they can be doing, so that they don't have to go through some of the things I’ve had to go through. I keep the lines of communication very open between all my mentees. I check in, I’m here if they want to talk. We discuss movies, their personal lives, etcetera. That’s how I’m contributing to it.
“On a larger level, the system itself has to hire more women. More than that, the system has to hire more women to do things that women aren’t doing -- all women get to do are dramas, biopics, romantic comedies, coming-of-age stories, something music-related, something about trauma. But we’re able to do other things too: horror, thrillers, VR….I would love for the industry to give women opportunities to do things that aren’t so straight-laced.
“Black women especially. If I’m not mistaken, black women are four percent of women who direct. It’s really horrible. The industry has to want to do better. There’s a lot of lip service. A lot of people talk about diversity and inclusion, but they don’t want to do the work.”
What advice do you have for women and women of color who want to go into film?
“For people of color, for women, for people who are other -- make your own stuff. Make your own stuff. Even if it means you gotta get friends together, your family. Be resourceful. Write things that you can produce, direct, and create. Ask for help, and assist other people who are trying to get into this work. Building a tribe is very important -- a community of people who are actually collaborators and supporters, not just people who talk about it. That’s what I learned at NYU -- a lot of people do all this, but the person in the corner who catches your eye might be your person. Never overlook folks, because you never know who might want to help you.”
I feel like there’s a lot of pettiness and competition that’s expected of women when they work together. How do you combat that? How do you combat competition and resistance when collaborating in general?
“I try to come from a place of abundance, not scarcity. Abundance means I’m not gonna covet what I have. If I’m directing this, I still very much want other women to direct. Other people don’t come from that, they’re like: ‘I am the director, see me roar. I am the only one who gets to direct.’ And when you -- women and not -- when you come from that mindset, people don’t like that energy.
“When conflict arises, pull people aside. Kindly put them in their place, establish yours, and walk away. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, it should never be in front of the whole set. People will try to step on your toes, to take over your job, but you are the director.
“Age helps. For so long, I hadn’t wanted to rock the boat, hadn’t wanted to be confrontational. But sometimes you have to be confrontational, especially for people who don’t accept being kind.
“And these are things I wasn’t taught. I love my mom to death, but it’s not like I was taught how to be a leader, how to be a director, how to be at the helm of something. I’m still working on how to advocate for myself, how to ask for the payment I know I’m due, the projects I know I’m right for. I’m still learning how to say no!
“There’ve been times where I’m like ‘I have to say yes to this job,’ and it’s like ‘Why do you?’ If you’re good at what you do, you don’t have to keep on saying yes to things that you don’t want to. And nobody told me that. Maybe that’s a women thing, or a people of color thing, because you don’t know when you’re going to get hired again -- and that’s scarcity. That’s why scarcity is so dangerous, because you can end up in jobs that you don’t want to end up in.”
How do you deal with lulls in jobs or artist’s block?
“I try to water my relationships. This is a strenuous lifestyle -- very beautiful, don’t get me wrong -- but it’s taxing, especially on your relationships. You need to have friendships, and family members, and chosen family who understand your job -- the nomadic nature of it, the spontaneity. You might not be able to be there for them all the time, and so you really have to cherish the people who understand that and are still there for you.
“Also when you have lulls, work on your passion projects. It’s easy to crave time, and so this is when you have time! I use lulls to read stuff, free-write, work on outlines, take meetings with potential job opportunities….It’s a time to do the fun research. Art is a field where research is living, so go have a life! Travel! Get into photography! Make sure you have a moment to reground yourself, to recenter yourself. Life is the source of it all, so take lulls as opportunities to reconnect with that.
“Also, remember to be grateful. That’s something important. Don’t move on too fast. Bathe in the miracle of what you just accomplished.”
What is the best part of your job?
“Oh, are you kidding me? Meeting all the incredible people I work with! Making some badass films with legendary people. Helping people emote and experience something they never thought. With film, you get the chance to change people’s perspectives, which is always amazing. You get a chance to learn about things and meet people you wouldn’t have otherwise learned about or met.
“Between the crew and the people, and the story itself, and embodying and bringing these stories to life -- that’s my favorite part.”
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