“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” co-director Joe Brewster spent seven years bringing his unique take on the radical poet’s life to the big screen. But when it was time to watch the finished product, he was still surprised by his emotional reaction to the opening scenes.
After a screening of “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” at IndieWire’s inaugural Art of the Doc series presented by National Geographic at the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles, Brewster and producer Tommy Oliver sat down with IndieWire editor at large Anne Thompson to discuss the documentary (sign up for other screenings in the Art of the Doc series here). While the film focuses on Giovanni’s artistry and activism, Brewster said that he was most moved by an early scene where he makes an appearance. To him, it was evidence of how far his quest to improve diversity in film has come.
“It just dawned on me, ‘This is where I grew up,’” Brewster said. “I grew up in Tinseltown, and I just felt I was never part of the equation. I never saw myself in films, and I love movies. So I just decided at 11, I was gonna put Black people in movies. Over the years I realized how important diversity of character and agency was. So I kind of teared up because this is what my wife and I do. And I think it has a powerful impact on the next generation. If we don’t see ourselves, we don’t exist. And if we don’t see ourselves, we can’t advocate for a better future.”
The film takes an expansive, stylized approach to Giovanni’s life, documenting they myriad ways that her literary and oratorical skills turned her into a beloved cultural figure that never shied away from the injustices of her time. But while her poetry and politics were well-known, Brewster said that working on the film prompted him to discover even more of Giovanni’s talents — including her knack for biting humor.
“We didn’t know she was a stand-up comic. And that was a benefit because we didn’t need as many tools, there were layers upon layers,” Brewster said. “We knew she was important, we loved her work, we thought we would be able to do multiple things in terms of using the poetry, the symbolism, the Transatlantic slave trade, Afrofuturism. But the humor is a certain kind of humor where you have to think twice about what you’re talking about and what it means. She’s hitting you hard all the time.”
But Oliver, who helped finance “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” through his company Confluential Films, said that he sees the film’s lengthy development process as proof that the nonfiction film industry has a long way to go.
“I should’ve never had the ability to join this film,” Oliver said, explaining that he believes larger financiers who viewed the project before him should have been able to spot its potential. “It to this day blows my damn mind that any version of this film — an early version, middle version, any of it — could go through something like that and people would not see the value in it. It makes no sense… It also speaks to the bigger issue around the number of doc financiers that look like us. Good luck getting to one hand with that number.”
Brewster, who directed “Going to Mars” alongside his wife Michèle Stephenson, echoed Oliver’s sentiments — but he’s certainly glad Oliver had a chance to produce the film. He explained that Oliver’s trust allowed them to follow their authentic visions without being expected to conform to mainstream tastes.
“You can’t underestimate the power of being seen by the producer. That’s what we want, we want to be seen and understood,” Brewster said. “This is a problem in the industry where we are forced to tell stories that make white people comfortable and minimize Black love. So Tommy allows us to maximize Black love, and I would make the point that you’re more comfortable seeing me and my family and Nikki in their complexity, and that is a beautiful thing.”
Watch the entire conversation with Joe Brewster and Jesse Moss at IndieWire’s Art of the Doc screening above.
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