Ever since the Carters dropped "Apesh*t," we've been going, well … apesh*t. Directed by Ricky Saiz, the music video's visuals captivated us all. But, did you know a black woman was on the directing team, as well?
Of course, she was.
Meet Jenn Nkiru, the second unit director of the highly popular music video.
“I’m very interested in the concept of black universality — a centering of blackness from which others can also empathize and assign an aspect of themselves,” Nkiru told the British Council. Her very first short film, En Vogue, was centered on New York's ballroom culture. Her 2017 short film, Rebirth Is Necessary, highlighted the black experience through vintage and modern visuals.
The marriage of "sound and vision" birth Nkiru's love of film.
"I've always been obsessed with the relationship between sound and vision, so that was how it began for me," she said. "Then I went to film school in America for three years where I got my MFA in film directing, and I was opened up to so much: African film, Italian film, Korean film, French film, Cuban film, early Soviet film, etc. It all completely blew my whole world open and took my creative curiosity to new heights. In my films, sound, vision and music have equal importance with sound and music often taking on character roles."
Nikuru also has experience working with a museum as the setting, per Mic. She filmed a short for International Women's Day at a Tate Museum celebration for women artists. The film featured Afro-British dancer Zinzi Minott.
After gaining some black girl magical insight, watch the video again below. You've already viewed it 50-11 times. Why not once more?
