DIRECTOR’S NOTES - Christine Boateng & Claudia Owusu

This story came out of a deep desire to collaborate and make sense of the world around us, especially in these unusual times. The film takes on the natural curiosity and melancholia that can be Black girlhood, and what it means to navigate our space in the world, especially at times when it all feels too big, too foreign, and too distant. Our main character’s curiosity and bravery in conversing with God shows the importance of making room for questions, especially as young Black women, and subsequently, affirms that it is okay not to have all the answers. Her conversations with God are loaded and light-hearted; and thus help the audience turn their gaze inward to explore their own book of questions.

We could not have done this without the help of our community. We spent October 2020 working on production with little to no budget, desperately surviving on the generosity of our creative friends, who donated their time and talents as DOPs, assistant directors, set designers, BTS photographers, and so much more. What we initially intended to be a one day shoot turned into two days, but all throughout, our friends stuck with us, making room for our explorations. As Ghanaian women filmmakers, we have individually created short films, documentary projects, photo essays, and poems addressing the diverse experiences of Black characters on screen. We want “Spirit” to contribute to the ongoing conversation of how Black girls navigate loneliness, space, and the self, especially in a world where Black girls are often silenced and overlooked. By juxtaposing the lightheartedness of the daughter’s questions to God, against the backdrop of her parents’ life-altering decision, we want to assert that our stories and existence matter, that our space and curiosities matter.