Written & Directed by Guilhem Coulibaly
A cinematic poem bringing a different perspective and positivity in the fight against racial injustice.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
Hi, I'm Guilhem and I'm a French director and editor based in London. As I like to say my passion for filmmaking was always there growing up but fully bloomed by chance in my mid-20s. As a kid, filming and editing family holidays was always fun to me, then I had a glimpse at actual filmmaking when my high school opened a film club and gave us (students) the opportunity to make our own short surrounded by professionals. As I went to university studying something completely different, I never seriously considered a career in filmmaking; but it became clear that's what I wanted to do a few years later when I started shooting music videos for my brother who's a musician.
I now work as a broadcast video editor as well as directing projects in my own time, with a strong desire to do more of the latter in the future.
My portfolio includes music videos, documentaries, promotional content and short films. Aesthetics enthusiast, I try to capture the beauty "the eyes can't see" in the people and their environment.
What was the inspiration behind Shapes & Colors?
The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement triggered in me a need to contribute to the cause in my own way, so I went to the protests to capture some footage in London with my friend/producer/photographer Shakir. At the time, I didn't know exactly what I was going to do with it but it was clear I wanted to create something that would be touching and inspiring and that would bring a bit of positivity despite the circumstances.
I've been wanting to include some sort of dance performance in a project for a little while and I thought it would fit perfectly in this instance. Stephanie (the dance artist) did amazing and I want to thank her for helping me getting the message across with such gracefulness.
Additionally, I believe change can only last if it includes our children. They have the future in their hands but we're responsible for how we teach them the world, not only through words but also through actions; and so, it was only right to portray a loving father & son relationship.
What was it like to bring this film to life and what obstacles did you overcome along the way?
Bringing this film to life was quite easy in the sense that it doesn't really belong to a certain genre; it was almost like any idea could've been thrown in there as long as I could find a way to connect them together; I definitely feel like I achieved that and I'm proud of the result.
Although the covid restrictions slowed down the process, it also gave more time to come up with new ideas. The film would've looked different if it wasn't for these restrictions but I think it actually played out in our favor, we only had to be patient..
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
I'm still fairly new to the game but what I've learned so far is to go ahead and do. There are many ways to tell stories so you don't necessarily need to raise a lot of money to create something; start small, and by repeating the process you'll get better at it and start making connections.
Several people congratulated us for not giving up and completing this film given the sanitary restrictions but I think there's always a way when you're passionate about something.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
I definitely enjoy every step of the process but I think my favorite part is the first time watching the final version.
That is when I'm finally able to take a step back and look at it with fresh eyes and it gives me a pleasant feeling.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I may have to reply to this later as it's yet to be released but just know that there has been a lot of emails!
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I'll recommend two brilliant short films: RE-ENTRY by Ben Brand & SERIOUS TINGZ by Abdou Cisse