Cultural Exchange
Exchange is a film production and multi-media campaign that celebrates and bridges the gap between Afro-American and West African culture. This unique production takes viewers on a journey from present day to the late 1960s. This era was chosen because it represents a period of heightened cultural awareness within the diaspora, both in North America and West Africa.
Through fashion and visual storytelling, Exchange illustrates the cultural ties between West Africans and African Americans, both in the past and present day. We took inspiration from two legendary photographers who highlighted Black and African culture in the late 60s — Kwame Brathwaite of Harlem and Malick Sidibe of Mali.
Image from "Black is Beautiful" photophraphy series by Kwame Brathwaite, 1968
Our re-imagining of "Black is Beautiful" and 1968 Harlem
Authentic Period Film
Exchange takes place across two distinct time periods, and was filmed in two NYC studios. Present Day scenes were shot in a vintage Brownstone apartment in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, NYC. 1960s period scenes were shot in Astoria, Queens, NYC, on a vintage 16mm film camera. To add even more authenticity, we sourced vintage clothing pieces from the 1960s for the production.
Post-Production & Visual Effects
In addition to thoughtful shot selection and sequencing, we employed innovative visual effects to help bring the film to life. The example below shows an antique, non-working CRT TV which was as a key storytelling device in the film. We transformed it using clever post-production techniques.
