Filmmaker Kenny Hamlett Reflects on the Requiem
“It was an absolute pleasure to be able to document and help share these stories.”
Onset at The Winningstad Theatre for “Around the Requiem”. Photo by Adam Edwards, Courtesy of Oh! Creative
Around the Requiem | Reflections
Photo by Karen Pride, courtesy of Oh! Creative
On Sunday, May 21st, Resonance Ensemble unveils the premiere screening of Around the Requiem, a new film centering on a conversation between artists and performers from An African American Requiem and moderated by Dr. S. Renee Mitchell. Filmed days before the premiere of this historic work, the film acts as a capstone to a series of materials inspired by An African American Requiem.
We celebrate its one year anniversary this month not only with the film premiere, but with additional reflections on those involved in its creation. You can read Damien Geter and Katherine FitzGibbon’s reflectons here.
Today’s reflection comes from Kenny Hamlett, with Oh! Creative Productions who served as the Director of Photography (DP) for the film. Kenny is passionate about creating stories that matter and we asked him to take a moment to share a little about what being a part of this project means to him.
We look forward to having Kenny with us for the premiere on Sunday as a guest panelist.
Photo by Karen Pride, courtesy of Oh! Creative
Kenny Hamlett | Reflecting on the Requiem
Being a Black man in the film industry as a creative, I find myself always looking to be a part of projects that focus on sharing stories that are personal and real to me.
Growing up, I struggled with my identity. What does it mean to be a Black man? I remember learning to play the violin, and feeling like I was a sellout, but I honestly wanted to be different. I didn’t like the idea of being put into a box, but that left me confused. I didn’t have people or stories I could go to that would affirm my decision to pursue things that weren’t traditionally Black.
Anyone that says they want to be a change maker knows that it starts with sharing our own stories. I love seeing Black and Brown folks challenge norms and stretch the world’s view of what it means to be a Black person and what we can and can’t do. It was so inspiring hearing about Resonance Ensemble’s project with Damien Geter and when I was invited to work with them, there was no way I could say anything but yes. I believe these sorts of stories need to be told and I’ve dedicated my career to sharing them as often as I can.
Filmmaker Kenny Hamlett on location for the Requiem Story Series | May 2022 Photo by Karen Pride, courtesy of Oh! Creative