“Vic as in Victory”
Girlhood -
The opening scene
The aftermath of an opening American football game is followed by its players, a ‘Bandes des Filles’ (Group of Girls) from the fierce suburbs of Paris, loudly chattering and laughing on their walk home. The post-match conversations drop off - they are all too aware of the inevitable reproach of men, from abusive brothers and controlling boyfriends to insistent strangers. One by one, quieter and quieter still, finally leaving protagonist Marieme (Karidja Touré) alone. When dancing diamonds bond
This Paris Projects setting evokes Mathieu Kassovitz’s 'La Haine' (1995), similar in its frustrated and brutal coming-of-age tale, focusing on 3 French teens who find a cop's gun on their home turf after an Arab has been beaten unconscious by the police. Girlhood, however, is more interested in the causes of violence than its repercussions and doesn’t rely on masculinity to elicit emotion for its characters. Physicality presented from a non-male gaze is the chief element at play, from the dance sequence in stolen dresses to ‘Diamonds’ by Rihanna, to the non-actors themselves, street casted in malls and on metro stations by director Céline Sciamma who said theatre schools were nearly all white. Her mission was “to give a fuller picture of what it means to be a woman in modern-day France and of the multitude of identities that exist.” The Girl Power effect
Paris has rarely been represented in films as the ethnically diverse city it is, which Touré has also commented on, stating: “When you look at cinema and the luxury market in France, you only see white faces - as if that’s all there is.” Onscreen, she embodies the classic Sciamma prototype, a suburbanite defying hegemonic norms and forefronting girl power as potential emancipation from socioeconomic restraints. The naturalistic acting by trio Lady (Assa Sylla), Adiatou (Lindsay Karamoh) and Fily (Mariétou Touré) reinstate the liberating force of sisterhood, aggressive in solidarity but universally relatable in tender moments in which they strive to understand each other. It’s wonderful yet unusual to see female friendship as the great love story of teenagehood as opposed to romantic relationships, with these women wielding more agency than typically given in a subgenre exhausted by white middle-class environments.
On September 29th, we had the privilege and pleasure of entering the next phase of REDEYE, with a host of talented people. Girlhood is a film with subtleties that reverberated with the audience at varying decibels. After the film, the audience broke into small discussion groups; fifteen minutes later, the audience drew back together for a larger group conversation with our guest for the artist talk, Director Edem Kelman.
Our Artist conversation with director Edem Kelman
Nigel Ruwende, one of the REDEYE team, conducted the conversation and set the tone for consolidated voices, soundly lifting the room. As a filmmaker making incredible strides, Edem served as a touch point for questions about story progression, processes and impact on creative practice and approach. Edem spoke about his non-traditional route, he didn’t study film but philosophy, and spending all of his free time at the cinema, talking continuously about films he decided to save and pull friends together to shoot short films. You can check out some of his most recent works, Princess (2020), Express (2022) and Hollyoaks. 
Next for Edem is his debut feature Duke, Edem recognises that it is his generation’s responsibility to tell the stories of the West African diaspora people like his father in London in the early 2000s. He wants to put these enigmatic figures and the community that forms around them on the screen with care and due diligence. Duke is backed by Film 4, and he hopes to shoot in 2023.Growing a community w/ GUAP
At REDEYE, we strive for a diverse audience which we hope will grow into a community of nuanced voices and experiences. To do this, we connect with community leaders like Elsie Cullen at Guap Magazine - whose work and dedication to furthering the personal and creative skill development of young minds continues to be a source of inspiration for REDEYE. We were grateful for those who came through this partnership with Guap. Their contributions added depth to the conversation inciting difficult, necessary questions.
Artist Contribution - WAAW DJs
We entrust our artistic collaborators to be led and freed by the honesty of their intuition. The contributions for this screening include a playlist curated by WAAW, a twin DJ duo identical in appearance but with temperaments cut differently, most evident in their taste. We asked WAAW (Naomi and Beca Snow) to curate a playlist because they represent the voice of a generation. Their combination means they occupy a sonically vast space, exciting with contemporary sounds grounded in music lovers' diligence toward its heritage. Something we touched on during the post-film conversation is the prominent theme of sisterhood bonds, which from the outside can be simplified as derivatives. Yet the privilege of time and proximity reveals their individuality. 
Naomi and Beca are at a fine point of their journey, they are close enough to the experiences of the characters in Girlhood but with enough perspective to juxtapose their time growing through the coming-of-age process in an entirely different context. What they found is a curation that is versatile, modern and representative of a globalised British culture. Therefore the playlist serves as a transcription, the same experience in a different voice and language.We love to take all opportunities to point out these bright talents on a hill. We were introduced to them early on, and feel lucky to have been privy to their development. They have waxed continuously stronger over the past four years.Artist Contribution - RUBY EVE DICKSON
The artwork presented on the evening is by artist Ruby Eve Dickson, an artist to the bone and marrow with a desperate love for painting, diligent in her study and a desire to immerse herself. At an exhibition with Ruby, you will see her immediately tap in; her passion runs joyful and freely to the brim - it breaks and flows at your feet to quickly soak you with the same excitement. When these REDEYE screenings began, Ruby immediately bubbled up grateful and happy, showing support by attending as often as commitments would allow. We have been admirers of Ruby for all these reasons and waited in eager anticipation.
Ruby’s artwork for the screening holds the complex and weighty subject with impeccable simplicity. It was clear that there was a genuine bond she had built with the characters and the story. We sent over a few questions to find out more.In Ruby’s words:“The film impacted me in a way I didn’t expect, it made me think about my relationship with my family - mainly my mother, since watching this I’ve felt stronger bonds to the women in my life who although we seek different things in our lifestyles, nevertheless we are connected. My practice has only ever felt like something I do solo and this project has opened me toward understanding how important connecting to an audience is and manifesting the correct response, I want my artwork to be sombre yet evoke a sense of togetherness that was apparent to me in the Paris apartment block buildings in the film.I discovered a new process whilst creating the artwork by adding spray onto wet paint. A sense of community is only beginning to manifest in me the longer I stay in London and stay connected to my friends I’ve met along the way living down here, I’m feeling grateful for my situation and the importance of my journey to get here.”Next up: Limbo - 27 OctoberWriters: Tilly & Fikayo