Art
afropunk premiere: the teaser trailer for writer & director tchaiko omawale’s upcoming short film ‘solace’
Today we’re premiering the teaser for upcoming short film, ‘Solace‘ – a project inspired by writer and director’s Tchaiko Omawale‘s personal struggles with an eating disorder and self-harm. The film features actress Hope Wilson as the lead character Sole, a teenager who must move in with her estranged grandmother (played by Lynn Whitfield) after the death of her father. And Sydney “Syd” Bennett also appears in the short. Watch the ‘Solace’ teaser below, plus find some exclusive quotes from some of Tchaiko Omawale’s dynamic cast.
By Alexander Aplerku, AFROPUNK Contributor
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Hope Wilson, who stars as Sole in the film:
“Solace was a rare opportunity for me to portray a character that wasn’t strictly defined by appearance (Race, gender, class etc). For the most part, the roles and opportunities that I’m presented with are limited to one stereotype or another. It can be frustrating, but I try to to see it as a challenge to find some nuance or depth in these characters that are more often than not, complete clichés.
On Solace none of us had that issue. The film breaks convention by exploring these characters that happen to be black, as people rather than as neatly packaged stereotypes.
That was the thrilling aspect! Throughout the process there was a general sense of excitement because we were portraying characters and personalities rarely depicted on screen by people of color. For each of the characters, there is so much more going on than one might gather or assume about them from a glance.
Tchaiko is the sort of director that doesn’t allow you to simply show up to set with memorized lines and costuming. You had to be really ready to bring more to the scene and have a clear understanding of the character’s journey at every moment. You’d think that would be a given on any set, but over the years I’ve found that it isn’t the case.
Overall, the wonderful thing about Solace is that it is a coming of age story that is equal parts drama, comedy with a little bit of fantasy mixed in as well. I really hope that people will find themselves in it and laugh and also feel compelled by the topics explored in the film.”
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Chelsea Tavares who plays Jasmine:
“Solace is a coming of age movie. It deals with growing up, finding your way, insecurities, death, abuse, sexual abuse, drugs, bingeing, cutting. But it also deals with hope, faith and friendships. In most movies, they water these problems down because they think the public can’t handle it, but I think this movie shows all aspects of life and will help a lot of people get through issues. It’s not your typical ‘black film’. I’m so happy that I could be apart of something so real.“
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Luke Rampersad who plays Guedado:
“Solace gives voice to authentic characters with all their passion, flaws, and yearning for something better. It’s a story crafted from the director’s real experiences, so I wanted to honor Tchaiko Omawale’s vision and breathe life into her words. What really made the project amazing was how much we all contributed to that vision once rehearsals started and throughout filming. It was an incredibly difficult process at times, and so rewarding too. All of us gave from the heart to make this film. The result, I hope, is something raw, spontaneous, and most importantly, real.”
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Glynn Turman who plays Clay (Pastor Davis):
“Solace speaks to a human condition not generally associated with people of color in motion pictures. I love the “get ‘er done” attitude of Tchaiko and her crew. I see “Solace” encouraging storyteller s to share there vision with us all.”
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