Micro film festival highlights local Black filmmakers for Black History Month

NINA MOINI: Tonight, the Twin Cities Film Fest is celebrating Black History Month with a MNmicro film festival. Five films will be shown at Marcus West End Cinema in St. Louis Park by local Black filmmakers. One of those films is called Out of Time. It was awarded the Best Feature Film at the Twin Cities Black Film Festival. Here's a clip from the trailer.

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- The number of confirmed cases of [? Poeri's ?] disease continues to drop.

- I never truly got to be present for my baby boy. That disease took him away from me.

- It is still medically unknown as to why this disease affects younger age groups.

- Rob, how am I supposed to take care of my son?

- It takes money to cover R&D. That is how drugs are made.

- How when it just keeps getting worse?

- The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.

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NINA MOINI: Joining me now is Alison Guessou, the director of the film. Alison, thank you so much for joining us.

ALISON GUESSOU: Thank you so much for inviting me.

NINA MOINI: That was a very powerful trailer. I just am so curious. What is behind the making of this film? Why do you think it resonated so much with people, Out of Time?

ALISON GUESSOU: Yeah, so when I originally had the concept of Out of Time, this was around 2018. It was a very pandemic-heavy story, too, at the time, with the intention for me to film in 2020.

And it stemmed from my frustration with the healthcare system, myself included, but family members that I've known. You go to the doctors, go to the hospital for life-saving treatment, and you get a bill that is incomprehensible. Or your insurance doesn't cover what it's supposed to cover.

And it's just really disheartening, being in America, that something like that could happen. So this story at its heart is really about not only a mother's unconditional love, but then just the fight against corporate greed.

NINA MOINI: And what inspired the film? Was there anything going on in your life? Or you just felt like it resonated with lots of people?

ALISON GUESSOU: I think it was a little bit of what had happened not only to me but to a family member. I had someone who had was going through cancer treatments. And they get their bill, and it's about $20,000-plus. And you're thinking, who can cover this type of treatment?

Granted, there are some grants and funds available to help, or experimental drugs that are out there to help with-- to look for remedies or solutions. But most of the time when you think about the general public, it's very difficult to be able to even know where and how to get that access.

So as I mentioned, when I initially wrote this pandemic-heavy, and the pandemic happened, it just felt like it wasn't the right time to move the story forward in that format. So I did change it just a little bit but made sure to keep the heart of it to more looking at the post, once you've gotten over the hump, what it looks like on the other side of trying to not only fight for your health and your family's health, but then also looking out for the community around you.

NINA MOINI: I think everyone among us can relate to just going to the doctor and just being nervous. This is such a big part of people's existence during obviously the pandemic. And now, you're totally right. Was this a film that was different from other films that you had made? What got you into filmmaking?

ALISON GUESSOU: Yeah, so I've been making films since about 2015. And I really got into the filmmaking industry with the intention to produce. But as a young, budding filmmaker with not a lot of connection, it was very difficult to be able to find those avenues to continue to do what I wanted to do.

And it wasn't until I spoke with a neighbor who had mentioned if you can't find what you're looking for, why don't you go ahead and create it yourself? So I started with my first film, which was a short called 911. And that was around 2015.

And the events of that time was the unfortunate killing of Philando Castile. And that wasn't only a theme for me but for a lot of other Black filmmakers during that time. The work was influenced just by the target that as Black people we felt we had on our back, where you don't feel safe driving around the city. You don't know if you're going to make it to your destination. And it's just very disheartening.

So a lot of my content as a filmmaker is centered around not only current events but just social-- just social enterprise of what's currently happening in hopes to not only highlight them but then also just keep those conversations going. Because I do think film is a great means to be able to connect with folks empathetically and hopefully have them see other sides that they're not used to seeing.

NINA MOINI: Can you tell me a little bit about the star of the film, the mother, the woman that we heard her voice in the trailer, what her story is, and how important it was to center her experience?

ALISON GUESSOU: Yes. So the star of that film, her name is Charla Marie Bailey. Her character within the film is Mona Cress. So Charla has been in the Twin Cities filmmaking scene for a long time. You may notice her if you've watched-- I believe it's the Home Shopping Network. I know she does a lot of stuff on there, but she's also a filmmaker on her own. And she's also on the board of the Minnesota Women in Film and Television.

She's a mother. And by looking at her, you won't be able to tell, but she's also a grandmother. So just knowing her experience to not only raising Black children but also grandchildren and her experience through life, I believe she was able to connect with the need to not only know how to protect your children but then knowing that there's the larger community at hand that if we're able to-- if we're all OK, then it serves us better. I guess it helps the community if we're all looking out for each other.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. So the film has been out for a while. What is the response you've gotten? And what do you hope people take away?

ALISON GUESSOU: Yes. So I've been in two festivals so far, and then tonight's Minnesota Micro Film Festival is going to be the third. And at the Twin Cities Black Film Festival, it did win the Best Feature Film.

And I think people do connect with just the underlying story. We've all had the experience of the impact of corporate greed that has made the headlines over the last few months in different aspects and different avenues. I know it's not the world that we want to live in.

But again, just knowing that if we continue to not only persist but then do our best to fight against that and be able to hold a mirror up to these agencies that don't give us our proper due, I feel like, again, it helps inspire people to know that you can do more. You are more. You can be more.

NINA MOINI: And that reminds me, actually, of the last question I wanted to ask you. We only have about a minute left. But you mentioned you didn't have connections. A lot of people don't when you are trying to become a filmmaker. What do you say to someone who doesn't see themselves represented, doesn't have connections, but wants to pursue something they're passionate about? Do you have a quick pep talk for them?

ALISON GUESSOU: Yes. I would definitely say do your best to find your people because some people always try to look for that person who's going to help them realize their dreams. I say, don't wait for that. Figure out what you can handle one step at a time.

NINA MOINI: Alison, thank you so much for being with us. Congratulations on the film and on your entire body of work. Thank you for sharing it with us.

ALISON GUESSOU: Thank you so much for having me.

NINA MOINI: Alison Guessou is the filmmaker behind the feature film Out of Time. You can see it tonight at the MNmicro Film Festival for Black History Month. We'll have information on our website, mprnews.org. Thank you so much, as always, for listening.

Tomorrow we are going to check in with Paul Huttner, our meteorologist. He's going to tell you about the weekend ahead, the rest of the week, and some of the snowfall that he is tracking. We're also going to talk with a Minnesota Book Award finalist about Locker Room Talk-- Women in Private Spaces. So much to look forward to. I'm Nina Moini. Thanks for listening. I hope you have a great rest of your day.

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