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Denisse Ariana Pérez reimagines the anatomy of the Black body through poetic words and images in a captivating film that celebrates all that Blackness is and can be.
Blackness is hard to summarize. It has many meanings, nuances, and tones. Blackness is intrinsically poetic and diasporic. It is always shifting and transforming, it is never static, and never one-sided.
I grew up in spaces where Black bodies were not considered beautiful or worthy enough to be celebrated—a notion my work rebels against. “A Poetic Lesson on Black Anatomy” intends to serve as a new glossary to describe the Black Body through poetic imagery and words. It is an invitation for self-exploration and self-determination; a giant leap from the days when Black bodies were placed on podiums to be observed, experimented on, and analyzed by the gaze of colonizers. Rather, the film is an anatomical exploration from a place of self-determination, where the subjects themselves are empowered to explore their bodies for no other purpose than for their own contemplation.
This body of work is an ode to Blackness, and specifically to Black Anatomy. Black bodies take so many different shapes, shades, and forms, and yet they all share mystical, ancestral poetry. Throughout the course of modern history, Black bodies have been reduced to stereotypes, but they are much more complex than superficial generalizations.
“A Poetic Lesson on Black Anatomy” is an homage to multifacetedness and complexity. No two Black bodies have the same experience or appearance. This project is an invitation to celebrate all that a Black body is and can be.
Art Direction Alexander Venndt Movement Direction Luiz Felipe Lucas Narration Makeda (Meme Gold) Carayol Music Reuben James Set Design Cristina Ramos Production Falca Models Makeda (Meme Gold) Carayol, Luiz Felipe Lucas, Jorel E, Panterino, Estefanía Mendes, Rosana Ehizele Ozgul Producer Ignasi Vargas Production Manager Luna Ausina Production Coordinator María Badía PA Alberto Armario Cinematographer Álvar Riu Dolz 1st Camera Assistant Lucía Ajúria 2nd Camera Assistant Marc Villafranca Photography Assistant José Lourre Assistant Director Nora Navarro Gaffer Jan Haase Spark Romá Cots Cole Key Grip Marc Ros Grip Juan Ignasi Prátola Set Designer Cristina Ramos Props Pedro Ramos Sound Tech David Gascon (114 Studio) Stylist Stephania Yepes MUAH Itziar Lorente Film Editor Aleix Rodón Colorist Martin Somoza Sound Design David Gascon (114 Studio) Camera & Lighting Napalm Rentals Grip Muxart Sound Gear 114 Studio Transport Modasa Production Equipment Location Support
With support from: URTH, Atmos, Probation, Homecoming and Open Doors Gallery.
