“It remains important to me that people experience the film, and all of my work, in whatever way they do and take from it what they will. I made this film to highlight something that I’ve encountered and had to live with, and hope that it allows the audience to see a new perspective and then feel/take from it whatever they do.

People can, and for years have had conversations about race/racial issues and there has been no actual change, growth or true understanding. I think there’s something about the qualities people bring to these conversations that is the ‘thing’. Perhaps I’d like the film to shine a light on that? Perhaps the film could provide an insight or change in perspective that allows people to enter these conversations with other qualities, to foster a more fruitful outcome for all involved.

In terms of the film’s relation to loneliness/isolation… the film highlights The conversations/experiences Black people go through can sometimes feel relentless, never-ending and indeed isolating.”

Lanre Malaolu is a director, choreographer and performance artist interested in developing timely, socially engaged work using a fusion of hip-hop dance, physical theatre and dialogue. His hybrid dance-documentary film THE CIRCLE had its world premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest and was selected for the Open City Doc fest (Nominated for Best UK short film) & IDFA (Nominated for Best Short Documentary). His first film FIGURE, won multiple awards and screened at festivals around the word including the BAFTA-recognized Aesthetica Film festival. He was the choreographer and performance artist on the British Council film DEAR MR. SHAKESPEARE (Sundance film festival 2017).

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