Scene in progress: Tevin Foster filming “Race Vs. Tradition: The Black Expertise” — a robust documentary exploring race, identification, and tradition by way of voices from throughout the Black diaspora.
Picture courtesy Hazy Solar Productions
Lengthy Island-based impartial filmmaker Tevin Foster is making ready to debut his second feature-length documentary, “Race Vs Culture: The Black Experience.” This thought-provoking movie goals to confront division and spark unity inside the Black neighborhood.
The movie’s premiere is scheduled for June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Bellmore Films And Showplace. Will probably be adopted by a networking afterparty subsequent door, designed as an early Juneteenth celebration.
“This mission is de facto near my coronary heart,” Foster stated in an interview. “It’s about utilizing storytelling to convey folks collectively, particularly within the Black neighborhood, the place we regularly see division based mostly on tradition, nationality, or background. I wish to shift the dialog towards unity and progress.”
Born and raised in Jamaica, Foster moved to the US at 11 and has since established his life and profession on Lengthy Island. A graduate of Farmingdale State School, Foster now works at his alma mater because the Affiliate Director of Digital Content material, whereas additionally operating his personal inventive enterprise, Hazy Sun Productions, based mostly in Nesconset, N.Y.
His first documentary, Lengthy Island Forgotten Heroes (2022), targeted on the plight of homeless veterans and was broadcast throughout the area. That movie was a collaboration with the nonprofit Barbara Foxtrot, led by Matthew Simone and Jade Pinto. “I discovered a lot by way of that mission, particularly what number of veterans fall by way of the cracks after serving their nation,” Foster stated.
With “Race Vs Culture,” Foster takes on a distinct however equally necessary subject — inside division inside the Black neighborhood. “I noticed plenty of damaging discourse on-line — arguments over tradition, heritage, accents, pores and skin tone,” Foster stated. “It’s one thing I’ve skilled rising up, too. And I simply felt like, particularly in right this moment’s local weather, we needs to be specializing in unity.”
The movie options interviews and testimonials from people throughout various Black identities, together with these from the Caribbean, Africa, and African American backgrounds. The tales discover various views on race, identification, and tradition, with some expressing hope for unity and others expressing doubt.
“Everybody had a voice on this,” Foster stated. “It’s not simply my opinion. It’s a group of ideas and emotions from individuals who all establish as Black, however come from very completely different walks of life.”
“Race Vs. Tradition” was fully self-funded. “I did it paycheck to paycheck,” Foster stated. “I couldn’t await grants or sponsorships — I simply knew I needed to get it finished.”
Foster stated his long-term aim is to take the movie to varsities, youth organizations, and faculties, particularly throughout Black Historical past Month and Juneteenth, to interact the youthful era in significant dialogue about identification, unity, and neighborhood.
Although that is solely his second characteristic movie, Foster has labored on many quick movies and helped others with their productions. He stated he’s excited to discover extra storytelling codecs sooner or later, together with scripted narratives.
“I don’t wish to field myself in. I like documentaries, however I would discover quick fiction subsequent, and ultimately transfer on to full-length narrative movies,” he stated.
Foster hopes folks present up, watch, and mirror. “Come to the screening. Share the message. In case you’re a part of a corporation or college that desires to collaborate, attain out. Let’s begin a dialog that brings us nearer collectively,” he stated.
To remain up to date on his work, Foster encourages folks to observe him on Instagram at @taumorfilms and his manufacturing firm’s web site, hazysunproduction.com. The movie additionally has its devoted web page at @racevculture.film, the place updates on future screenings and occasions will likely be posted.
