“There is no need to cower, because in the midst of gun showers, there will be Slumflowers”
Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs of multimedia creative agency, Street Etiquette, released a fantastical short film titled Slumflower. The film tells the story of a creative young boy, Jerimiah, who by way of his imagination, sprouts out of the confines of inner-city New York. Slumflower does a stunning job of weaving critical commentary on socioeconomic issues through an engrossing and captivating storyline.
Jerimiah’s imagination proves to viewers that despite being caged and confined, growth prevails. “The projects represent all of the fears and misconceptions that America has concerning the lower class/poor and we wanted to play a part in changing that destructive narrative with Slumflower,” said Joshua Kissi in an interview with Blavity.
Street Etiquette tactfully dresses each character of the film in a suit; forcing viewers to rethink their preconceived notions of those living in the slums of America. Does Jerimiah’s whimsical world of suits make viewers pay more attention? Or relate deeper? The film highlights the effervescent humanity in American slums that is oftentimes dismissed and devalued.
“Our intention was to flip the perception of everything people are conventionally comfortable with when they’re watching Slumflower, creating the ability to imagine and see something beautiful grow from a hostile environment,” said Kissi.
When asked about the urgency of black storytelling, Kissi shared; “[n]ow more than ever it’s important to tell our own stories because black culture and black consciousness have finally met at an intersection; especially with the power of the Internet… [b]lack culture acts as a multi-cultural, multi-faceted inclusive umbrella to all types of people to be inspired by our very own stories.”
“We want to encourage black creatives across the globe to take pride in their ideas… [u]ltimately don’t be afraid to pick up a pen, choose a different camera lens, and begin to tell your story because it matters.”
Watch the full film below.
