Polarity
We are witness bearing, femme filmmakers. Over ten years in the making, 'Anatomy of Wings' is an urgent film about young Black women's lives that matter in beauty and authenticity. A two-fold coming-o…
Polarity
We are witness bearing, femme filmmakers. Over ten years in the making, 'Anatomy of Wings' is an urgent film about young Black women's lives that matter in beauty and authenticity. A two-fold coming-of-age story, we begin as teenage girls from the East and West sides of Baltimore who grow up on camera while our fledgling video skills program grows into a women's collective of profound filmmaking. Our feature-length film focuses on the conditions needed for empathetic witnessing. As creators, both in front and behind the camera, we tell our story about Black and white people coming together across radically different zip-codes so that ten Black teenage girls feel seen and heard in their daily lives. 'Anatomy of Wings' offers a replicable model of mentorship emphasizing seeing and hearing without judgment. Even still, underserved youths' stories such as ours can frequently be based on the competitiveness of winning or losing a scholarship. We are not interested in perpetuating the myth that scholarships are the sole means of expanding beyond one's circumstances. Scholarships can be powerful but they are scarce regarding the magnitude of young people who deserve them. We must create a new narrative outside of the white-normative-gaze. By speaking through this film we are expanding the definition of a worthwhile life. We are acknowledging a person's growth in the moment of her experience versus focusing solely on the potential of future accomplishments. Even when this means having to face the stigmas associated with young motherhood, whether or not one goes to college, or where one lands in the workforce. There is beauty happening in Baltimore. There is healing, there are young women coming-of-age, breaking cycles, and improving communities one breath at a time. Since 2016 and across Baltimore City, 'Anatomy of Wings' has offered focus groups in various stages of development for young people to senior citizens. Baltimoreans from all socio-economics, race, gender, class, and sexual orientation have viewed excerpts from the film-in-progress at public schools, universities, community centers, homes, and cafes. Participants have consistently reported that it is a stunning rarity to see young Baltimorean women empowered in love and light instead of being defined by a cinematic backdrop of scarcity and loss. We believe audiences are eager to engage films that are NOT about winners and losers. We believe audiences are ready for stories that are NOT about who is good and who is other. We are ready to share our story about how we want to live in this world. ~ The Wings Collective
Polarity
Drama
Film Details
We are witness bearing, femme filmmakers. Over ten years in the making, 'Anatomy of Wings' is an urgent film about young Black women's lives that matter in beauty and authenticity. A two-fold coming-of-age story, we begin as teenage girls from the East and West sides of Baltimore who grow up on camera while our fledgling video skills program grows into a women's collective of profound filmmaking.
Our feature-length film focuses on the conditions needed for empathetic witnessing. As creators, both in front and behind the camera, we tell our story about Black and white people coming together across radically different zip-codes so that ten Black teenage girls feel seen and heard in their daily lives. 'Anatomy of Wings' offers a replicable model of mentorship emphasizing seeing and hearing without judgment.
Even still, underserved youths' stories such as ours can frequently be based on the competitiveness of winning or losing a scholarship. We are not interested in perpetuating the myth that scholarships are the sole means of expanding beyond one's circumstances. Scholarships can be powerful but they are scarce regarding the magnitude of young people who deserve them.
We must create a new narrative outside of the white-normative-gaze. By speaking through this film we are expanding the definition of a worthwhile life. We are acknowledging a person's growth in the moment of her experience versus focusing solely on the potential of future accomplishments.
Even when this means having to face the stigmas associated with young motherhood, whether or not one goes to college, or where one lands in the workforce. There is beauty happening in Baltimore. There is healing, there are young women coming-of-age, breaking cycles, and improving communities one breath at a time.
Since 2016 and across Baltimore City, 'Anatomy of Wings' has offered focus groups in various stages of development for young people to senior citizens. Baltimoreans from all socio-economics, race, gender, class, and sexual orientation have viewed excerpts from the film-in-progress at public schools, universities, community centers, homes, and cafes. Participants have consistently reported that it is a stunning rarity to see young Baltimorean women empowered in love and light instead of being defined by a cinematic backdrop of scarcity and loss.
We believe audiences are eager to engage films that are NOT about winners and losers. We believe audiences are ready for stories that are NOT about who is good and who is other. We are ready to share our story about how we want to live in this world.
~ The Wings Collective.