ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Ava DuVernay

Finding Her Voice: 1on1 with Kalia Love Jones (THE POWER OF HOPE)

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It doesn’t matter how old you are. Everyone is looking for hope.

Written and directed by 13-year-old Kalia Love Jones, The Power of Hopeis an animated short that tells the inspirational story of a young woman who has big dreams of becoming an architect. When her mother becomes ill, she feels overwhelmed and helpless. However, after hearing a powerful speech by former First Lady Michelle Obama, she is inspired to find the strength to persevere and bring her dreams to life.

As a first-time filmmaker, Jones says that she wanted to both encourage diversity in the filmmaking world while, at the same time, creating a story that was relatable to as many people as possible.


“I made the film because I want to see more diversity in film,” Jones begins. “I want to see more people of color and women in film, but the story was just something that I came up with. I wanted The Power of Hope to be something that was relatable. I wanted it to be as relatable as possible [so that], when [people] would watch it, they would feel inspired.” 

Creating a film at any age is always a difficult process. However, featuring sharp animation and visuals, Power of Hope is an incredible first step for the young Jones. Though, with that in mind, one of the most difficult aspects of the film’s production to her was finding a team that was willing to work because of her youth.

“I think the biggest challenge in making this film was finding people to work on it because we’re so new to this industry,” Jones recalls. “We don’t know really anybody so finding someone to help us was really hard. We went to colleges and asked for animators or people that are working on the film. But it was really hard because nobody would want to work with a 13-year-old. After a few months of looking, we finally found some a crew and it all came together.”

Anchoring the film is the incredibly powerful speech by former First Lady Michelle Obama, which empowers the young protagonist to keep going when she faces tough times. While Obama wasn’t involved directly in the project, Jones wanted to use her words because of the incredible impact that the First Lady has had on her life.

“[Michelle Obama] didn’t work on this film herself,” Jones clarifies. “She was just a very big inspiration to me. I don’t think I would have felt inspired to have made a film without Michelle as my huge inspiration. I just love Michelle Obama. She’s a huge inspiration to me. So, I wanted to use her speech in the film.

In addition to Obama, Jones also takes the opportunity to pay homage to other women such as Awkwafina and Ava DuVernay in the end credits who she believes are worth looking to as motivation.

“I think all of them are there because they’re all inspiring to me,” she says. “They inspired me to make the film. So, I felt that they should be in the credits.” 

Asked where she believes the true power of hope lies, Jones contends that she thinks it stems from the encouraging words of others.

“I think the power [of hope is] the power to motivate someone to be successful [or] to take steps to get out of a hard place and get into a better one,” Jones explains. “It’s the power to motivate someone and make them feel inspired to overcome all the obstacles that get in their way.” 

“I think it’s hard to cling to hope when you’re facing adversity,” she continues. “That’s why I made this film because I wanted people to feel inspired when so they would feel hopeful for a better future and success they saw the film. I wanted them to feel hope so that they can overcome obstacles.”

For Jones, however, the most important thing is that people feel encouraged by the film to face difficult circumstances head on so that they can conquer their fears and be successful.

“I want people to feel inspired when they watch my film,” she reassures. “I want them to feel confident and brave, [so] they can feel like they can overcome all the obstacles that can come in their way and reach their goals.”

For audio of our interview with Kalia Love Jones, click here.

The Power of Hope premieres at the Shorts by the Sea Festival in September.

The Power of Hope: Inspiration by Influence

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Dear Michelle Obama,

Admittedly, you and I don’t talk much (read: never). Even so, I’m a big fan of your work and I hope you’re doing well. I don’t expect you to reply to this post but I did have one question for you: Did you know that you recently starred in a film?

You really should. 

Because you’d be proud of it.

Written and directed by 13-year-old Kalia Love Jones, The Power of Hope is an animated short that tells the story of a young woman who has big dreams of becoming an architect. When her mother becomes ill, she feels overwhelmed and helpless. However, after hearing a powerful speech by former First Lady Michelle Obama, she is inspired to find the strength to persevere and bring her dreams to life.

Beautifully written and animated, Jones’ short is both charming and challenging. Though brief in length, her desire to empower young girls to overcome the trials that they face shines through, providing encouragement to everyone who watches. Considering her young age, there’s a maturity within the story-telling and visuals that makes this short film an impressive debut for Jones. Gradually moving from shadow to light, the film’s images emphasize the importance of looking for hope in the midst of life’s moments of deepest darkness. From having to care for a sick parent to struggling financially, Jones’ short is willing to stare down the most difficult of circumstances and prove that they need not define or defeat you. For Jones, the message is clear.

No matter what you’re going through, you can do it.

What’s most interesting about the film though is how Jones uses Obama’s (your?) speech within the film. Sitting broken in her living room, the young girl overhears the former First Lady’s voice on the television and is instantly transfixed by it. Then, as her hero’s words of hope sink in, she decides to fight for her future. From there, the voiceover takes over the remainder of the film, walking with her through each stage of life. Though leading the narrative component, its true importance lies in the way that it gives the young girl something to cling to and points to the impact that people of influence can have on a generation. Never once does Jones’ character meet Obama or receive any direct help from her yet she owes a great deal to her words. For this young girl, Obama’s message of confidence gives her courage in the face of the overwhelming odds against her. 

This sentiment is also echoed throughout the film’s closing credits, as Jones chooses to highlight other women who have inspired her in her young life. From Ava DuVernay to Ellen DeGeneres to Awkwafina, Jones highlights women of different ethnicities who have become trailblazers in their diverse fields yet have also provided an example of succeeding in the face of adversity to young women everywhere. Although Jones may have never met or spoken to any of these particular women, it’s clear that she holds them in high esteem and views them as people who matter. 

Their example has provided an example for her to follow.

So Mrs. Obama, I hope that you get a chance to see Kalia’s film. Not only because it’s enjoyable and effective but because I believe that it’s a testament to the voice that you have given to the next generation. 

And, like Jones herself, that voice has proven incredibly powerful.

For audio of our interview with Kalia Love Jones, click here.

The Power of Hope premieres at the Shorts by the Sea Festival in September.

A Wrinkle in Time: Put on Some Glasses

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Mrs. Which and Meg Murry work on finding balance.

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

Thus begins the 1962 Newbery Award-winning novel A Wrinkle in Time, written by Madeleine L’Engle. Over the years, this coming-of-age fantasy about Meg Murry and three oddly-named witches has captivated the thoughts and imaginations of millions of children worldwide. In Disney’s new adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) has taken L’Engle’s vision and created a dazzling tale of hope and love fit for today’s younger generation.  We adults might find something to take from it as well—if we view the story from the eyes of a child.

A Wrinkle in Time is a very challenging work to translate from page to screen.  It has a heavy scientific focus, takes place on numerous planets, contains fantastical creatures, and personifies the constant battle between darkness and light in an abnormal manner. There are a lot of missteps that can occur along the way, as Disney themselves learned when they attempted a direct-to-TV adaptation of Wrinkle in 2003.  L’Engle’s thoughts? “I expected it to be bad, and it [was].”

I’ve learned over the last few weeks how few individuals have actually read the book (DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey only read it before accepting their roles in the film), so to assume knowledge of the basic plot isn’t a good idea. So here’s a quick summary:

A young girl named Meg (played by Storm Reid) has to deal with being a misunderstood child while living in a home with her two scientist parents (Chris Pine and Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and her brainiac younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe).  Four years after her dad goes missing while attempting to discover a new method of time travel, Meg and Charles Wallace are visited by three beings—Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey)—who tell them their father is alive and take them on a trip across the universe (along with Calvin O’Keefe [Levi Miller], a student at Meg’s school) in an attempt to save him from IT, the embodiment of evil in the form of a pulsating human brain. Along the way, Meg learns much from the three beings about faith, love, and life itself.

Which is which? (L-R: Mrs. Who; Mrs. Which; Mrs. Whatsit)

In the film, Reid admirably shows Meg’s sensitivity, uncertainty, and fortitude of someone coping with the loss of her father and her desire to get him back, though she doesn’t know what she’s capable of.  School isn’t easy in general, much less when you’re picked on and harassed by other kids as well as the principal.  Meg is a storm (pun intended) waiting to be unleashed, which aptly depicts the opening line of the book. The beings—happy-go-lucky Mrs. Whatsit, wisdom-spouting Mrs. Who, and sage Mrs. Which, encourage Meg and her group along the way.  They’re “in search of warriors . . . who can bring hope back.”  Witherspoon shows some comedic range as Whatsit while Winfrey comes across as larger than life–literally at times.  Kaling’s Mrs. Who isn’t given enough to work with and falls a bit flat for me.  Zach Galifianakis, as the Happy Medium, provides some levity to the film.

But for me, the film rises and falls on the shoulders of 5 year-old Charles Wallace.  McCabe doesn’t disappoint, absolutely stealing every scene he’s in.  He’s charming, ebullient, and when possessed by IT, powerful and frightening. Pine’s portrayal of Dr. Alex Murry is scientific yet human; he gets to experience some of the same harassment Meg feels.  It makes their reunion more touching. Mbatha-Raw provides necessary realism in her marriage to Dr. Murry through a number of flashbacks, but doesn’t do much else.

Wrinkle’s set designs are varied and interesting, from the earth-like majesty of Uriel to the claustrophobic confines of CENTRAL Central Intelligence. Her costume choices for the witches are majestic yet unique, as Winfrey sports jewels for eyebrows and Kaling’s Mrs. Who has a familiar phrase embroidered all over her outfit (see Isaiah 41:10). Witherspoon’s character, true to form, looks like she grabbed some sheets off Mrs. Buncombe’s clothesline and fashioned a dress from them.

DuVernay is willing to take some significant risks with the movie, which is a fancy way of saying that purists of the book will mostly be happy, but not with everything.  The scientific aspect is played up heavily, to fantastic effect in Camazotz (the bouncing ball scene is appropriately scary and nervy). Mrs. Whatsit’s transformation into a unicornish beast on Uriel in the book becomes something akin to a leafy stingray (impressive-looking nevertheless).  Fortinbras the dog makes an appearance, but Meg’s twin brothers Sandy and Dennys do not.  Aunt Beast is basically nowhere to be found.

The faith aspect was a major part of L’Engle’s book, as she directly quoted passages from the Bible in sections. You’ll hear a more universalistic view on faith in the film as Mrs. Who quotes Gandhi, Buddha, and even Outkast. I would’ve loved a piece of Scripture in there to balance things out a bit, but perhaps the point to be made is to look deeper for the truth—just like Meg has to do in finding her father and combating the IT (there is one particular scene that may give those below the age of six [6] nightmares—parents be warned).  Sometimes we have to believe before we can see, and as we get older, we have a more difficult time accomplishing this.  There’s a reason Jesus said that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Mark 10:15).

This, in my opinion, is why DuVernay said the film was geared to kids age 8-12—not adults.  It also explains why my 15-old daughter enjoyed the film more than I did.  Adults are likely going to see Wrinkle in a different light than their younger counterparts–and possibly pillory DuVernay in the process.  But perhaps the right thing to do is step back, take a deep breath, and view A Wrinkle in Time through the lenses of Mrs. Who—lenses that remind us that children are the future and they will realize their potential before we know it (see: survivors of the Parkland HS shooting in Florida).  And if we do, we’ll realize L’Engle (and DuVernay) have created works that have a whole lot more to offer than at first glance.

Special features include bloopers, deleted scenes, music videos (DJ Khaled with Demi Lovato, Chloe x Halle), commentary from DuVernay, Jim Whitaker, and Jennifer Lee, and a making of featurette starring DuVernay, Oprah, and other members of the cast and crew called “A Journey Through Time.”