Alana Barrett-Adkins is a director, actor, and producer. She is the CEO/Artistic Director of Rock Alari Studios, which has produced projects including the play “Women of Adonai,” the web series “Women of Adonai Project,” and her debut feature film “Asunder, One Flesh Divided.” Barrett-Adkins teaches Screen Acting Technique and Film Production at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the City University of New York.
“Asunder, One Flesh Divided” will screen at the 2020 American Black Film Festival, which takes place August 21-30.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
ABA: After five years of marriage, Ruth and Brandon experience stagnation and isolation in their marriage after Ruth has an incident with a co-worker. Secrets are revealed overlaid with family drama, addiction, and intense counseling.
“Asunder, One Flesh Divided” explores the idea of what it means to truly love someone above all things.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
ABA: Funny enough, this story is the offspring from a prayer I had with God. I was in my bed and I said, “Lord, look: you know I’m single and I know you and I are both tired of me praying for a husband. So I got an idea, why don’t you give me a 90-day free trial and I’ll see if I like him, like Amazon. If it doesn’t work out I’ll put him back in the same box and send him back.” After I said this I immediately started to see images and experiences of things that married couples go through — sickness, family problems, infertility, addiction, lust/adultery, bitterness, etc. Once I saw these things I had the story for “Asunder, One Flesh Divided.”
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
ABA: I want people to think about what it truly means to love. Where do they see themselves in this story? What are they hiding? Where do they need healing? What conversations do they need to have? And with whom?
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
ABA: The biggest challenge with making the film was lack of time, money, and resources. There were so many shots and ideas I had that we had to let go of because we simply didn’t have the budget or my DP or cast weren’t available.
This film definitely was one of the hardest things I had to do — and I’ve done some really hard things in my short life!
I actually lost about 10 pounds during the process of shooting the film. My biggest worry was running out of money.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
ABA: We crowdsourced our film and I also had two close friends make significant donations. I also financed the rest from meager savings. My crew worked for pennies since we didn’t have any money, and so did the actors we hired via Backstage. A few of my friends were willing to shoot for “free.99.”
We were also able to use many of our locations for free — the house we shot in was owned by a good friend of mine. The hospital room I was able to get through a connection. I got the law office through one of the cast members. The church pastor I knew personally, and he was happy to support a young person making a film for the first time. We shot the first and last scenes in the Central Park Conservancy, which we weren’t really allowed to do, but my AD sweet-talked the park ranger into letting us shoot for two hours.
I also purchased all the wardrobe, then returned it all after we finished shooting. That includes props, etc. For all of this I have to give God a high note of praise. This film was a miracle!
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
ABA: I made a web series on YouTube called “Women of Adonai Project,” which started as [just an idea in my head] but ended up reaching people in the U.S. and West Africa. I started to see how film could be used to reach the nations. I always felt that I was called to the world, and once I started the web series it confirmed for me that film was a gateway to everyone. Even the projects I’m working on now have an international setting; my hope is for my production company to have an international arm in different countries.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
ABA: The best advice I received was from a friend of mine when I was about to start crowd fundraising for the film. I was anxious about reaching out to potential donors/producers for fear of rejection. I mentioned that I really wanted to make the film but I didn’t want to start the campaign for fear of failure. He said, “Let them tell you no.” At first I didn’t understand what he meant but then he basically said I was making the decision for the donors. Put my best foot out there and really vouch for the film and let them make up their own minds about supporting. I’m so glad I took his advice. Most people said “yes”!
The worst advice I received was from a person who was assisting with some technical glitches we were experiencing early on in post-production. He said that we should just leave the glitches as they were and just chalk it up to it being my first feature film! Worst. Advice. Ever! A Nigerian entrepreneur named Folorunso Alakija likes to say, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” I took her advice instead and fixed the glitches.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
ABA: Follow your gut. There are going to be a lot of people speaking into your ear about what they think is best, and how they think things should be done. What they think will and won’t work, and while their input is valuable, you were tasked to actualize the vision of the film, so bet on yourself. Bet on the fact that you do know what the film needs, you do know the right color palette you want to work with, what shots you think work, and so on.
Follow and trust your gut. Your instincts are there for a reason.
Another piece of advice I would give is to work with other people who are great assets — DPs, ADs, and producers who can see your blind spots and the things you may overlook. Have a solid team. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
ABA: Oh gosh, this is hard, but my favorite woman-directed film is “Eve’s Bayou” by Kasi Lemmons. For some reason this film left such an indelible impact on me, seeing it for the first time as a child.
The way Lemmons was able to incorporate everything into the frame from the POV of the protagonist, Eve, was incredible. From the sway of the willows by the creek, to the music, the looks and moments between characters, the color grading, editing — superb! And even with all of those cinematic things, I still felt the pulse and the emotions and arcs of each character. Such a good movie.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?
ABA: I’m adjusting pretty well — change is always inevitable. The biggest challenge has been teaching film production and on-camera acting classes via Zoom — it’s definitely not the same.
I do think this situation is more of an opportunity than a burden if you change your perspective. I’ve definitely been able to utilize the quarantine time to write, and develop a new series set in an all-black town in rural Pennsylvania during the Reconstruction era. I was able to get an EP onboard and we finally finished the pitch deck and series bible, so now we’re in talks to make our pitch to networks! Super exciting!
W&H: Recent protests in the U.S. and abroad have highlighted racism and anti-Black police brutality. The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make Hollywood and/or the doc world more inclusive?
ABA: I think it is imperative that black filmmakers, directors, producers, screenwriters, and content creators develop, control, produce, and create their own work. A large part of the issue of underrepresentation is the lack of economic and executive agency that black artists have in the film industry. This is what needs to change first and foremost. And blacks/Afro Americans who are in positions of power or who have major studios and serious pull in Hollywood need to connect with and conglomerate with other like-minded black executives so that we can hire, produce, direct, write, and create our own stories instead of looking to Hollywood to allow us space to make our stories. We must create our own table instead of asking for a seat at someone else’s.
