Cecile Emeke tells old stories with a new lens

Filmmaker, Cecile Emeke, turned her first short film ‘Ackee & Saltfish’ into an online web series. Around the same time, she published her independently produced documentary series ‘Strolling’ on YouTube. In so doing, Emeke has twinned centuries-old conversation with shiny new technology.

‘Ackee & Saltfish’ explores the effects of gentrification in London on Caribbean immigrants.

It follows two black women, Rachel and Olivia. The roommates journey to a takeout restaurant to buy a delicious plate of ackee & saltfish on a Sunday morning, after Rachel forgets to soak saltfish at home overnight.

But to their surprise, the Caribbean restaurants have either disappeared or turned over ownership to British management. The restaurants also displayed unfamiliar menu items Rachel and Olivia simply can’t take seriously, let alone eat. So they return home empty-handed.

As the cinematographer and editor on the project, Emeke uses extremely shallow depth of field which threatens the sharpness of the subjects (Rachel and Olivia) with a soft out-of-focus background. The blurring effect represents the fading of Caribbean culture in London.

The web series consists of six short-form episodes and debuted in 2014.

Emeke’s project titled, ‘Strolling’ also uses fresh techniques to raise lasting issues.

It shows people of the African diaspora talking about various topics while walking within their locality.

The series began in London and expanded to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, New York and Kingston, Jamaica.

Strolling’s first episode in the Caribbean was shot in Kingston.

Kokab and Gladstone are seen strolling through Hope Botanical Gardens while discussing topics like depression, classism, patois and homophobia.

On April 21, 2016, ‘Strolling’ was showcased in the National Gallery of Jamaica as a digital exhibition.

“Strolling in Jamaica was the beginning of exploring, highlighting and connecting stories of the global black diaspora. I found that the best way to approach such a huge and generalised topic was to be as specific and intimate as possible, so I met up with Kokab and Gladstone in Kingston, we talked for hours and I captured some of it on film,” she told the gallery.

Additionally, Emeke’s work has been exhibited and screened at the ICA London, ICA Boston, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago among other institutions.

The British-Jamaican filmmaker is currently based in London and often explores Caribbean and London culture in her work. She has been working in the online space since 2014. Emeke has directed mainstream television shows such as HBO’s ‘Insecure’ and Sky’s ‘In The Long Run’.

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