Understanding How Circumstance Plays A Factor: Aisha Ford On Her Short "Cherry Lemonade"
Director Aisha Ford writes and directs films based on stories from her childhood. Her short films have been broadcast on platforms such as the American Black Film Festival Independent TV series and screened at multiple film festivals including Tribeca. Her recent accomplishments include the Spike Lee Film Production Grant and the prestigious NYU Wasserman Award for her short film Royal. Ford is also the recipient of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts HBO Scholarship. Her latest film, Cherry Lemonade, focuses on the possible dangers of a young girl venturing out on her own.
On a hot summer day in a lower-income neighborhood, a black girl learns to take the lead on her own terms. Starring Eris Baker (NBC’s This is Us) and Skylan Brooks (Netflix’s The Get Down, CBS’ Empire)
This powerful film recently screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in the Juneteenth “Shining Stars” program, as well as the Roxbury International Film Festival’s “This Is Who I Am” program. We had the pleasure of chatting with Aisha about her film, its origin, telling personal stories, building a diverse crew, and much much more!
How did the concept for Cherry Lemonade originate?
Growing up in a lower-class neighborhood, the youngest girl in a family of boys, I had to learn early how to hold my own. I remembered the beauty and the fun of my old hometown, but I also remembered the dangers too. As a young girl, I didn’t know what opportunities awaited me outside of my small community. But the lessons I learned there would help me take hold of them. I always felt as though I had to learn how to defend myself because of the threat of dangerous situations. As a filmmaker, I yearn to bring those lessons to the big screen and make films that represent the community and home I remember in a way that champions its complexity and authenticity. This is why I wanted to create Cherry Lemonade—a story about a young girl learning how to hold her own in a world that contains tough (and sometimes violent) men, even when those men present themselves as her protectors.
What excited your most about telling this particular story?
What excited me the most about telling this specific story is that my brothers can view it, and we can share stories together and reflect on our childhood memories! In the end, Cherry Lemonade serves as a Thank You letter to my brothers and letting them know how I much appreciate the lessons they’ve taught me, even when we’ve butted heads.
Given how male-dominated the industry still is, it was beautiful to see that the film had such a diverse production, comprised of predominantly female filmmakers, who volunteered their time on this project. Tell us a bit about how you assembled your team and what it was like working so closely with so many women.
The film was produced within the Women in Media CAMERAderie initiative that supports emerging voices, creative talents, and untapped potential of female filmmakers. I was one of 3 finalists selected to develop their screenplay to a film. The film was created with a volunteer crew comprised of 90+% women, women-identifying and gender-nonconforming filmmakers, and 50+% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) filmmakers. Working so closely with women gave a unique perspective to the film that I really enjoyed, and on set, I strongly felt we were in tandem.
Eris Baker and Skylan Brooks both give fantastic performances. How did you get connected with them, and what was it like working with them on this project?
One of my producers contacted an amazing casting director and they recommended Eris Baker to play the role of Phoenix, so my film team reached out to her. Similar story with Skylan Brooks: another one of my producers worked with Skylan Brooks previously, and we reached out to him for the role of Kurt. It was unbelievable working with the two. The immediate chemistry they had together really made this film feel special. They are both extremely talented and put in a lot of hard work into making their characters come to life.
The film is full of lush, sun-soaked visuals. How did you and cinematographer Angie Sciulli nail down the film’s aesthetics.
I communicated with Angie that I wanted a film that captured the concrete jungle of southern Ohio. The oppressive summer heat would beam heavily in our exterior spaces and bloom in our single-window interior spaces. I wanted to fully embrace the beauty of my neighborhood and display a very lively, energetic community. We screened films like Feathers, Atlantics, and War Paint for visual reference.
I’ve never wanted a cherry lemonade so bad; it looked so delicious! Is a cherry lemonade your favorite way to beat that summertime heat?
Haha! I actually like blueberry slushie to beat the heat, but I chose red for the film because it’s my young niece’s favorite flavor ☺
What drew you to the visual arts? How did you get into directing?
I wanted to create stories about my family, my childhood and my hometown. The experiences that I had growing up and the various lessons I encountered helped shaped me into the person I am today! One film in particular that really inspired me to get into filmmaking was Set It Off, directed F. Gary Gray. It was one of the first times that I strongly felt connected to on a human level as a black woman. From there on out, I wanted to create character-driven films and direct my own stories or stories that I have an emotional pull too.
What films or filmmakers have inspired you, your style, or your approach to telling a story?
Over the past few years, the filmmakers that have inspired me are Chinonye Chukwu, Bong Joon Ho, and Céline Sciamma. There’s plenty more, but these 3 are my most influential for film style and developing character-driven narratives. Always a great reference and I could never get tired of watching them.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
My hope is that people will take away with the understanding that Phoenix is simply a kid just trying to be a kid. However, her circumstances play a factor in her having to grow up and learn how to protect herself from the possible dangers in the world. Even from the people that present themselves as her protectors.
Do you have any future projects in the works that you can share with us?
Yes! I am working on a short film titled Brownies, and I'm also working on my first feature film based on my first short, Wren.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!