Filmmaker Oge Egbuonu Examines The True Definition Of Black Womanhood
The #SayHerName movement spotlighting forgotten women killed by police is also emblematic of being a Black woman in America. (In)visible Portraits, Oge Egbuonu's feature directorial debut, reinforces that awareness and explores generations of otherizing Black women.
“This documentary is a timeless piece,” Egbuonu tells BET.com “It's also a think piece. It's something that I wanted to create to celebrate Black women and show reverence for them.”
The gripping documentary Egbuonu calls her "love letter to Black women" blends the history of oppression, present-day realities and optimism for future generations. Addressing the country’s continuation of tropes from the Aunt Jemima Mammy to the temptress Jezebel, the film includes historical references and critical analysis of the misuse of Black women’s bodies and the controversy of Black women's beauty.
And as certain brands enforce the retirement of racial stereotypes, and protests against racial and gender injustices continue across the nation, Egbuonu believes today is the right time for this film to reeducate communities "on how to honor Black women and to know our history."
A child of Nigerian immigrants, Egbuonu moved from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles eight years ago and began working in retail before becoming a restorative yoga instructor. Ged Doherty, the co-founder of Raindog Films alongside actor Colin Firth, was one of her students; he invited her to join their independent production company. During her 3-year tenure, she was the producer on Loving and Eye in the Sky.
Released today on Juneteenth, Egbuonu talks to BET.com about the inspiration behind (In)visible Portraits, how the film changed her life forever and the words of encouragement that made all the difference from her sister-friend, Halle Berry.
BET.com: What inspired the film?
Oge Egbuonu: I had just left Raindog Films, and someone referred me to executive producer Michael Meyer. At our first meeting, Michael told me he saw this video of Isiah Thomas being inducted into the hall of fame. Isiah was crying and saying how much his mother sacrificed for him to be where he's at and Michael said, ‘I realized that there hasn't been anything created to celebrate Black mothers. I really want to make something that celebrates Black mothers.’
I said, ‘No disrespect, but why you? Why do you want to make it?’ He’s a middle-aged, white man, but he said, ‘I've had this vision for a few years, and seeing this YouTube video of Isaiah Thomas brought it home for me.’
I told him if I were to make anything, it would be about celebrating Black women because Black women are Black women before they are Black mothers. So I would want to make something that celebrates and holds reverence for Black women. I pitched him that and he loved it and funded the project.
BET.com: How important is this film in today’s political climate and in the wake of the current protests?
Oge Egbuonu: The film would have been timely even without the current uprising and pandemic. What makes it even more important today is when I think about who has been behind movements in this country's history: Black women have led most movements. Women like Ella Baker who most people don't know about did all the strategizing and made sure that communities were fed during the Civil Rights movement. Women like Ella helped Martin Luther King, Jr., and other men who were the face of these movements. And now with the Black Lives Matter movement, founded by three Black women, it’s all very relevant to the film, seeing [these] women getting the recognition. When I see the murder and rape of Black women like Oluwatoyin Salau, the Black Lives Matter protester who was recently brutally murdered, this documentary speaks directly to that and all that's going on now.
BET.com: With that in mind, exactly who is this film for?
Oge Egbuonu: First and foremost, this film is for Black women. It is a love letter that says: "I see you, I hear you, and, you matter." And then secondly, this film is a reeducation for everybody else on how to honor Black women and to know our history.
BET.com: You decided to feature 22 women and girls in the film. How did you decide who made it in?
Oge Egbuonu: I went through about eight months of research, working six days a week, 14 hour days and the scholars, experts, and authors in the documentary are the women I read during my research phase. Those are women who rearranged my thoughts with their books in the most beautiful and empowering way. I reached out and asked them, would they be a part of this vision that I wanted to create.
I fell in love with the The Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) in Los Angeles, which is directed by Sheila Thomas, who's also in the documentary. I sat down and told Sheila about my vision and she said, ‘Absolutely, you have my support. But, let me be very clear, people come into these communities and exploit these people's stories all the time, and they never see them again, and they never hear from them again. And so I can introduce you to these women, but it's up to you to build that relationship with them and for them to give you their story. I can't make them do that.’ And so I did the work.
BET.com: Were there any scenes or interviews featured in the film that you found particularly memorable?
Oge Egbuonu: Memorable? I mean, this entire film and the production of it changed my life in so many ways because I learned so much. For example, I had no clue about the origins of the song "Amazing Grace " and I feel like that is really going to strike a chord with most people, especially Black folks.
Also, there’s a moment with the beautiful, young girl Empress Ariella who says because of her “condition” of having her eyes crossed, she had to learn to say in the mirror that she’s beautiful and worthy. My crew and I were balling when she said that. Moments like that throughout this entire experience forever changed me.
BET.com What more do you think needs to be done for Black women in America?
Oge Egbuonu: It boils down to reeducation. Society is all social constructs, and we're living in someone else's imagination. So, it starts with understanding that everything that we're experiencing began with a thought. It started with an idea. What needs to be done goes back to the reeducation process — getting people to do the work of self-reflection and putting in the conscious effort to understand and be or do better. In doing that, people can start tackling how they show up because thoughts lead to actions.
BET.com: What was your reaction seeing Halle Berry share your film’s trailer on her Instagram?
Oge Egbuonu: Oh, Halle is a dear friend of mine. She’s been there since the beginning. When I got the offer for the film, I was afraid, so I went to her house. I cried and told her, ‘I can't do this. I've never directed before.’ And it was her encouragement that pushed me. She literally picked me up off the floor and was like, ‘You're doing this. If I have to put my entire team behind you to make this happen, you're doing this. You know how many white men get their first shot to direct in Hollywood, and they have no clue what they're doing? You need to tell this story.’ And so I called the investor and said yes. Halle is family to me, and her support means everything.
(In)visible Portraits debuts today, June 19, and is available for rent or purchase on Vimeo.
Rita Omokha is a writer based in New York who writes about news, politics and culture. She is an alumna of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
