Black Horror Films: The Repass (2015)
More akin to the southern gothic, I can with honestly confess that The Repass looks to be one of the most compelling and complex supernatural films with care to the Vodou tradition I've been teased with in a long time.
The Repass is a darkly thrilling tale of a young girl who journeys into the mysterious world of vodou to learn the fate of her baby brother lost in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Entranced, she discovers the secrets powerful enough to heal her family or shatter it forever.
Considering the synopsis, it's amazing when musings sync with ideas that have already materialized. Tiffany Jackson (@WriteinBK), a writer, producer, and filmmaker herself once noted, "With all the horror Black people have lived through for the past 100+ years, it amazes me that we don't make better horror movies." It wasn't long after she made this statement that Shaw's project was made known to me. It answers Jackson's frustration with the lack of Black filmmakers exercising their talents by utilizing the horror genre. The bigger discussion of 'Blacks in horror content creation' is a bit beyond the scope of this feature, but I couldn't pass up a chance to gauge Shaw's opinion on this statement, "Well, 2 things come to mind.
I suspect we haven’t yet seen a strong black audience for that genre because of the continual homogenization and gentrification of our ancestral cultures. We all have heard a story about a “weird” or “strange” relative or neighbor who put a curse or a hex on someone. However, we don’t get to hear about how the same “spells” have helped and protected us. The Repass allows us to see that vodou, like many other religions, can be used to heal. We see how it can guide us, make us whole, and redeem the inner light within us once again. We don’t need to fear practices that no longer seem “normal” or “mainstream.” We can again embrace the traditions that gave us the strength to free ourselves from so many obstacles we’ve faced.
On the other side, I can think of so many families who are struggling with issues of money, resources and education. Who has time to dream and fantasize when there are mouths to feed, siblings to care for, and chores to be done? This makes idealistic pastimes like art less of a priority, especially when that pastime is expensive. But the ability to daydream, to contemplate, to wonder is where sci-fi/fantasy/horror thrive.
Writing The Repass was a journey of cultural exploration and spiritual awakening for me. The discoveries and connections I unearthed are authentic and priceless. That’s what I feel The Repass is about--renewing our relationships with the intangible things that shape our lives: our memories, our ancestry, our dreams and even our nightmares, our time with ones we love. But these things are all of the ethereal and supernatural; none of them are practical and yet they are necessary. The supernatural is a part of us; it always has been. Now we get to tell that beautiful story in a thrilling way."
Alluded to as somewhere in a realm between Spike Lee's When The Levees Broke and Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012), The Repass is inspired and a reminder that Hurricane Katrina has disproportionately impacted a community, a people that will feel the ripples of its tragic effects for generations on.
Luckily securing passion with talent, Rae was able to let us know that Ray Auxais (@RayAuxais) will play one of her leads in the role of Effrayant; "[Ray] is a wonderful Haitian-American actor who has appeared on several TV series (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parenthood, Bones) and has been an incredible part of our campaign...There are so many artists who have a passion for Haiti and New Orleans, we know that when they read this story, they will be moved to be a part of it."
With a new producer on board (Eric J. Adams) Rae is ready for next steps which include securing more funding and hopefully, additional notable actors. The major goal is to ensure The Repass satisfies its audience this Christmas.
Still want to help fund The Repass? Here are 3 ways:
Paypal - wickedlovelyfilms@gmail.com
Our website: http://www.therepass.com/pages/join/join.html
By check or mail: Wicked Lovely Films P.O. Box 812152 Los Angeles, CA 90081. Checks must be made out to “MACSD” with “The Repass” written in the memo section. All checks made out to MACSD are tax deductible.