A Boy, A Girl, A Dream.
Description
Stylish and impassioned, Qasim Basir’s third feature expresses the vitality of being true to oneself in the face of a politically challenging new era. Seemingly shot in one continuous take, it details the emotional evening that unfolds after two African-American professionals, Cass (Omari Hardwick) and Frida (Meagan Good), go from club to Lyft ride to house party on election night 2016. As news reports ominously deliver the possibility of a Trump victory, the pair engages in rich and probing conversations about one another’s thoughts and dreams.
“It’s not easy to stay in the moment as performers when you’ve got so many literally moving pieces around you, but Hardwick and Good are there for each other throughout. Hardwick’s Cass has a rugged charm lurking under that dour demeanor, while Good plays Frida as a no-bullshit professional who’s stowed away her feelings for fear of leaving herself exposed to yet another disappointment. They’re kindred battlers. As Basir and co-writer Samantha Tanner make abundantly clear in this very earnest, ferociously hopeful film, we’re not going to get through this mess if we’re not pushing one another to be at our very best. That’s the simple, but true message of A Boy, A Girl, A Dream. It’s all about support, love, and action. This directness is essential during the emergency of our times.” – Jeremy Smith, BirthMoviesDeath.com
“Cinematographer Steven Holleran, whose background unsurprisingly includes extensive work as a camera operator, has done an excellent job of following the characters as they move through the night; there really is something hypnotic about the film’s continuous-time look and feel, whether it was all done in one take or not.” – Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
Qasim Basir originally planned on a career in law before he was injured in a 2002 car accident, and decided to refocus his energies on something he had a genuine passion for: making film. His previous features are Mooz-Lum (2010) and Destined (2016), for which he won Best Director at the American Black Film Festival. “Someone had told me that my films are intense and if I would consider doing something light, and I was like, ‘Not really,’ but that question resonated … Maybe I could do a love story. … Then the election happened. When that part happened, I thought it was imperative to speak on it and my way of speaking is through film,” says Basir of A Boy, A Girl, A Dream. (blackfilm.com)
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/259777341Film Details
Language English
Year 2018
Runtime 89
Country USA
Director Qasim Basir
Producer Datari Turner
Writer Qasim Basir, Samantha Tanner
Editor Qasim Basir
Cinematographer Steven Holleran
Music Tony Anderson
Cast Omari Hardwick, Meagan Good