Back at the Halifax Black Film Festival, the latest cohort of young filmmakers aged 18-30 from across Canada created short documentaries addressing the issues that impact Black communities. Among them are four local filmmakers who share their stories about
what it means to them to be Black and living in Halifax.
In this Q&A, we learn more from Halifax filmmaker Hailey Ramsay about their film From The Ashes. Ramsay’s film screens with other film shorts in the Being Black series from Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa filmmakers on February 24 at Cineplex Park Lane (5657 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax). Visit halifaxblackfilm.com for tickets and information.
This interview has been edited.
Tell us about From The Ashes. What can audiences expect?
My film is about my experience of being mixed race in Canada.
What was your inspiration for the film?
My inspiration for the film I found in the title of Being Black in Canada. I just used my experience.
What was your biggest challenge in making the film?
My biggest challenge in making my film was finding the time and stability to do so. When I first came home to Nova Scotia, I had this opportunity right away, but I didn’t have a lot of time or stability during the making of the film. Nova Scotia isn’t the easiest place to live, but while filming, I was also becoming stable here.
What will surprise audiences about your film?
I think the thing that will surprise audiences the most is that my daughter was my inspiration to find my voice and become an actual woman; it’s something I am lucky enough to have changed me.
What do you hope audiences walk away talking or thinking about after seeing the film?
I hope what people take away from my film is to be careful how they treat others. And if anybody has a similar story, they take away that they’re not alone and create with what they feel others won’t relate to; maybe with their feelings, I’m almost positive someone will relate through their art.
What’s next for Hailey Ramsay?
I plan to keep expressing myself through the creativity I have been working on and taking seriously a few projects recently – clothing/music/dancing/theatre – all while raising my little girl Marley and continuing to work for a better future for her and me.
From The Ashes screens as part of the Being Black series from Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa filmmakers on February 24 at Cineplex Park Lane (5657 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax). Visit halifaxblackfilm.com for tickets and information.