Poetic Animated Short Film Series Dreams in Vantablack Premieres on CBC Gem September 29th
On September 29th, Dreams in Vantablack, the anticipated poetic anthology of 12 animated short films featuring Black youth poets from across Ontario premieres on CBC Gem. This incredibly unique collection of wordsmiths (Akil Elijah, Furqan Mohamed, Jennifer Kasiama, Jesse June-Jack, Ivy Black, Eva Anthony, Aaliyah Aden, Laura Baptiste, Cameron James, Egypt Morgan, Libin Ahmed, Chris Markland) reach within to make sense of a world that has often silenced them, revealing their truths on bullying, mental health, cultural identity, racism and more. Told through a wide and diverse array of animation styles, the series brings to life poems that teeter between disaster and a dream, and as the animated poems unravel, viewers get a birds eye view of the beautiful, complex and inspiring dreams of these wildly talented young writers.
Directed and created by former world poetry slam champion Ian Keteku , Dreams in Vantablack offers up an intentional and rarefied view on Black youth culture as seen through the lens of a multiplicity of African-Canadian voices who represent a new generation of poets and creatives who insist that their voices be heard and their fresh perspectives be considered. “This project brings together two of my passions; poetry and animation. Developed in a UK lab, the colour Vantablack is the darkest shade of black, so dark that when painted on an object it disappears into shadows; much like the voices of many Black youth living in Canada.
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