My name is James Grisom and I am an African American filmmaker that currently attends USC’s School of Cinematic Arts for an MFA in TV & Film Production. I’m a native of Lynwood, CA and graduated with a B.A. in Religious studies from the University of California, Berkeley.Where I’m from, many of my friends didn’t expect to see 25. Unfortunately, for some of them, those expectations came true. I grew up in a space where violence and death was so common that it became normalized for me and many of my peers. There is a lot of trauma, but hardly any resources to cope with it in my community and other similar communities throughout this nation. How do we respond when this trauma hits so close to home? When it happens to someone you know--someone you love, someone so young and innocent? My thesis film Eye For An i is a poetic and authentic meditation on grief from the perspective of a young black teen named Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a pianist who loses his sister to unexpected violence. Many films that tell a similar story as this one tend to focus on the violence, revenge, or gang aspect of their predicament. Although very real, my focus for this film is grief. We all have experienced the stages of grief in our lives and all of its complexity. Resources on how to process and move towards healing is extremely scarce in my community. This is the conversation I want to have. That’s why this story is important and timely today.
If chosen as a winner of Space for Change, the space will be used for production; specifically as the ‘void’ realm in which the protagonist escapes to cope with the trauma and predicament he’s facing. Jeremiah usually has a tough time expressing himself. The piano is his outlet to navigate his feelings. Like Jeremiah, I’ve also had a tough time expressing my feelings growing up. I play the piano and compose music. The piano is an outlet that I continue to explore today to navigate and cope with the world around me. Throughout the film--within the real world and the void--Jeremiah struggles in playing his piano, in finding his peace. What is one to do when they no longer have that ‘escape’, that ‘peace’? The void (space) will be vital in helping to visually convey that dilemma.
Peerspace is on a mission to bring people together. We believe it is impossible to achieve that goal unless we also fight for equality and access to resources in the communities we serve.
Having a space to gather, create, and exchange ideas is an important part of any movement. In order to magnify voices that are often quieted, Peerspace will sponsor venues for people who challenge prejudice and fight for social justice and equality.
Each quarter, we will sponsor space for three projects that are relevant to our community. These projects can range from fundraisers and educational initiatives to art exhibits and photo series.
