Black Panther actress Letitia Wright’s directorial debut is a “love letter” to young Black men in response to the knife crime crisis in London and her personal experiences and loss
Emmy-nominated actress Letitia Wright is set to make her directorial debut with Highway to the Moon, a new coming-of-age fantasy drama. Wright was inspired to create the short film in response to the devastating impact of knife crime in London and has called the project a “love letter to young Black men all over the world”.
Wright wrote, directed and produced the short film which was inspired by the killing of her friend’s brother and the death of model Harry Uzoka. Actors Kenyah Sandy and Lamar Waves star in the fantasy film, which follows the experiences of young Black men after their lives are tragically cut short.
Sandy portrays the character Micah, a young man journeying through the liminal space between life and death, guided by a group of other young men. Together the men confront what it means to be a Black boy in today’s society, empowering each other to embrace empathy and self-worth.
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In a statement, Wright shared that Highway to the Moon veers away from stereotypes in favour of recognising the unique emotional, social and mental health struggles and strengths of young Black men.
She said: “The film is my way of exploring joy, love, and unity, and I want to show these boys in a way that is not connected to a stereotype, but instead explores their emotions, complexities, hopes, dreams, disappointments and fears, and allows them to see themselves as worthy, with lives that have meaning.”
The global premiere of the film will be on Saturday, May 31 at the South London Film Festival. Wright said that the setting for the film’s premiere was particularly important to her. “I felt it was crucial to premiere the film at a festival that supports emerging filmmakers in our community,” she explained. “The South London Film Festival’s target audience aligns with the young people I aimed to reach with this film, and I hope it resonates with them.”
In response to those who might criticise her for highlighting knife violence, Wright told The Guardian: “There is not a single knife that you see in this film. It’s just the actions of it. It’s just the aftermath.” She also noted that in many stabbing cases, gangs were not involved at all.
The short film was commissioned through WeTransfer’s arts platform, WePresent. Holly Fraser, VP of content at WeTransfer, is an executive producer on the film, alongside Alex Mattinson and Damian Bradfield at WeTransfer.
As reported by Variety, Fraser shared: “Being able to commission important stories and work with artists that are driven to use creativity as a tool for progress has always been the cornerstone of WePresent’s mission as a platform.
“Letitia exemplifies this and through the production of Highway to the Moon we’ve seen the love, care and dedication that she has poured into the film at every turn. We’re excited to see the journey that ‘Highway to the Moon’ now goes on, and we hope that it starts much needed conversations amongst its audiences moving forward.”
