A Wink And A Thank You To The People Who Inspired Me: Donta Storey On Their Short Film "LiME"
LiME marks the directorial debut of Donta Storey, and it’s set to release on March 31, 2020, via Amazon Prime Video and Retrospectiveofjupiter.com. The film tells a deeply personal story in a universal way, and it shines with inspiring positivity in its messaging. The short won honorable mention at the San Francisco Black Film Festival in June 2019 and closed out the film festival circuit at the famous OUTFEST Fusion Festival on March 7, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Set in the urban jungle of Compton, CA in the early ’00s, LiME tells the story of Deshawn, a young man who discovers how hard it is to live in his truth after experiencing the bitterness of the real world. He has a choice, to conform to societal norms, or....be the sweet amongst the sour.
We had the opportunity to chat with Donta about their short, its inspiration, the city of Compton, and much much more!
The story of LiME stems from your personal experience growing up in Compton as a non-binary black queer human, but how much of your actual experience made its way on screen?
I would say 90%. Like the character Deshawn, I was in marching band, I was on a drill team, and I did experience a very traumatic assault in 9th grade that was a result of people who chose hate instead of love and tolerance. I think what really stands out in the film to me that also came directly from my life is the support from the female characters. Growing up I didn't have a lot of male friends, queer or otherwise, but I had some kick-ass female friends who would go to war for me. My sisters were also a great support system. I didn't realize how much of that poured into the script until we began editing the film. It felt great because it's like a wink and a thank you to the people who inspired me and made sure I kept going, even when I didn't feel like I could.
How did you determine which elements of the story would be true to your life and which elements would be better fictionalized?
Honestly, I just wrote, and when I decided to make a film I went back and intentionally included more of a universal-reality. I knew I wanted Deshawn to have my experiences, but I also knew the city of Compton, and the culture was just as important to story and I wanted to make sure I linked the three together. The moment I decided not to name the character Donta is when I decided I could take liberties with the storytelling piece. I wanted to make sure the film spoke to everyone and not just those who could relate directly to the experiences shared.
You left Compton fifteen years prior to making this film. Was it difficult emotionally to revisit your past to tell this story?
It was! I remember going to scout with my team right before filming and walking the neighborhoods and kind of acting as a tour guide for them and feeling really vulnerable. I didn't walk or drive past a park or store or street that I didn't have a memory from. Growing up in Compton left me with so many amazing memories, but there are plenty of painful ones there too. I mean, it's no secret that Los Angeles and cities like it have or had gang violence issues, and living in that you learn to let go of people far before you ready to.... and that can change you. It also oddly prepares you for the outside world very early on.
Has the Compton you grew up in and the Compton the film is set (the early 2000s) evolved over the years?
I feel like it’s changed... it could be because I don't live there anymore, but for sure. Compton is much smaller than people think, and while we have a significant Downtown area, many of the staples that glued Compton together are gone. The Famous Compton swapmeet was replaced with a Wal- Mart and no matter how many times I see it, it feels out of place. I always felt like Compton had this small-town charm with big-city energy, but with the death of the mom and pop shops things feel different there. Thankfully some of the places I frequented as a kid still stand ... but yea, it's evolved...in its own way.
Did you learn anything new about yourself over the process of making this film?
I did. I learned that I was ready. As an actor, you leave your career up to others and making this film was a huge step for me in the right direction. I learned that I have what it takes to push through self-doubt. I CAN DO THIS! I learned that if you pour into yourself you'll grow. Sharing my childhood in this was cathartic, but really scary for me, but it helped me on my personal journey of self-love and acceptance as well.
LiME is also your directorial debut. What was your approach to telling this story visually?
I'm a very visual person and I remember writing in my script everything that I wanted to see on the screen. When you watch the film you'll notice the abundance of limes around the town and in the character's home, and that was all done on purpose. I also really wanted to explore color. I feel that color aides in storytelling, and I'm happy about how easy the city of Compton made that. We have blue, yellow and turquoise buildings and the drill team and drum squad parade in purple and silver. A lot of my childhood was spent fantasizing and parading around in this colorful world in my mind, so I wanted LiME to look like that. It was also extremely important for the audience to feel like they were walking in Deshawn 's footsteps, so my DP Christian and I decided to go handheld to create that experience on screen.
Are there any films or filmmakers that influenced your individual style or this short?
No one film inspired this particular short, but there are many filmmakers I'm inspired by. I really love the works of Spike Lee, Sam Levinson, Ari Aster, and F. Gary Gray. I think as a fan of the film there are so many people I would love to be like, but it's important for me to feel like I'm using my voice, and my vision. I can't say whether people will fuck with it, but I truly hope they do.
You were initially concerned that the film wouldn’t be well received, but you got a lot of love and support from the community — and now the film is making a big splash in the festival circuit. How has the film’s reception changed your outlook?
I know this is my first short and to some people, it may not be that big of a deal, but I'm reveling in the fact that something I wrote and directed is inspiring people. I think my insecurities are to blame for my worries about the reception, but meeting audiences after screenings of the film and hearing how much they were moved or how happy they were that I shared my story I feel much differently. I realized that a lot of what we do as storytellers or filmmakers is trigger emotion, and if I can touch one person with this story, or inspire one queer youth to keep going - then it's worth it. I feel proud and I feel grateful to be able to share this film with people.
Is there any significance to the casing of the film’s title?
The film's name comes from the name of the street I grew up on in Compton. One of the first shots in the film is of Lime Ave and it was my way of tying the community into the film. There is a sweet metaphor that ties it all together too — gotta watch to find out though!
Let’s talk casting. How did you find your lead and supporting cast?
I went into this decision to work with actors I didn't know. I used casting platforms for the roles and came across casting everyone pretty easily. Funny enough, Deshawn was the last character to cast. I remember feeling like the film would be shelved because I refused to cast just anyone for the sake of it. Urian Ross was a gift. I remember watching his self tape and looking at my producer Tiffany while in a hotel on vacation and jumping for joy. Urian is nothing like Deshawn, but I knew we had found the right actor for this. I didn't want to find someone who I felt reminded myself of me. I needed to see Deshawn, but I also needed to feel Deshawn emotionally.. and I feel blessed to have come across his talent.
In addition to having a great cast of performers, you also had a solid team supporting you behind the camera. How did you go about assembling your crew?
I hired my producers first. I knew I needed to find people who I could trust, but who were ready to dive in. I found that in Tiffany Michelle and Maritta Kachele. I knew I needed people who were okay with wearing several hats, and I was lucky to lead a team that believed in me and trusted my process. My producers are the unsung heroes of this short. I also got really lucky in finding my DP/AD, Christian Colwell. He's a true talent and It was great finding someone who saw my vision but also encouraged me to elevate it. We come from two different backgrounds but creatively gel very well- it was almost like we had known one another forever. I met my editor Josh Whitaker through my DP and that made easy for us all to collaborate. I'm incredibly lucky to have found this team, as I didn't go in knowing my crew at all. I believe in stepping outside the box and in doing that you can build your own creative family. LiME is better because of the diversity in the creative processes used.
What do you hope that audiences take away from the film?
I hope queer youth, especially black and brown youth realize that it’s okay to be who you are. For many years we've said "It gets better", and with LiME I feel like I'm showing them that. Deshawn is based on Donta, and guess what? It was hard, sometimes I didn't feel like going on, but I did, and I'm here. You can be here too. Living, and loving. I want people to feel inspired and I hope people find the courage to take on the bitterness in the world. I also hope that people who find it hard to support those who live differently than they do realize that tolerance is key. I hope they allow themselves to walk in Deshawn's shoes for the 11 minutes and come out better on the other side.
Do you have any other projects in the works that you can share with us?
I do!!! I film a short titled Dooley Does Murder! which is a dark comedy with horror elements that I wrote, will act in and direct in a few weeks. I also will be producing and directing sci-fi/thriller meets broadway short called BABYLON 3000 right after that. I'm also writing two features at the moment, and if things go as planned I'll be filming those early 2021.
Wanna learn more?! Check out the links below:
LiME review
Dooley Does Murder review
Dooley Does Murder interview
Podcast with Dawn Storey about Dooley Does Murder
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!