In Development
Indie Rooftop is a six episode concert series that will feature different musicians each episode.
Documentaries like Gimme Shelter, Hype, and Dave Chapelle’s Block Party were able to capture fantastic performances from talented up and coming artist while offering their audience an urgent authentic cultural experience. While some of the artist featured in these documentaries had achieved noteworthy fame, many had not. It is clear that there is a popular interest in unknown musicians. Nina Simone said “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” We are living in a very interesting time that is inspiring artist all over the world. Music moves people and Indie Rooftop will capture amazing moments and tell incredible stories. Be there.
A black civilian cook bootleggs alcohol on an army base in Louisiana, and finds himself at odds with the mob.
Shine is inspired by my learning that my grandfather bootlegged alcohol in Louisiana until fleeing for Chicago to escape mob retaliation. As I researched the concept I began to understand that if this were true, he would have been doing so after prohibition as a civilian cook during WW2. I asked myself why he would have done that. Why would he risk his life for such a limited enterprise? There are lots of socio-economic reasons, but deeper than that was a struggle I found myself facing. My desires for respect, and the idea that I had to become financially successful in order to attain it crippled me until I realized that I had to love myself unconditionally. My self-esteem had to be severed from the way people responded to me, and from my financial status. Shine is a gangster film that deconstructs the emotional impact of the American dream. Shine tells the story of Charles, of a civilian cook who bootlegs alcohol on base, and finds himself at odds with the Louisiana crime family. With a hyper-masculine tone, it honors the traditions of the American crime drama and gangster film (profanity, sex, and violence) while furthering the genre by depicting multi-faceted aware women, and predominantly addressing personal insecurity as it relates to the American dream. The film acknowledges the social status of black and immigrant populations, and the criminal pursuits that coexist with positive contributions to American society. Shine is ultimately a journey of unconditional self-love.
