December 8th sees the release of 'Zion', a new film by award-winning film producer Sheila Na'imah Nortley.
'Yemani is a beautiful young woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is heavily pregnant, alone and dealing with many deep emotional scars, yet hope comes to her from an unlikely source: a young and charismatic teenager who she meets coincidentally. His name is Zion. Intrigued by his mentality and nonchalance about his circumstance, every maternal instinct in her compels her towards him and a deep and beautiful friendship emerges. Will she be able to save him from the inevitable?'
Starring Kyla Frye, Shomari Brown, Michael Raphael Davies, Vanessa Vanderpuye, Ashley Walters and Aml Ameen
'Zion' was inspired by reality in many ways. Many argue that the issue of violence amongst black youth is saturated in black british cinema. We disagree. There is a story that needs to be told; a reality that is being lived by some of our young generation. It doesn't need to be glamourized or sensationalized. It doesn't need to be exploited, misunderstood, reinterpretated and sold back to us. It definately doesn't need to be mocked and ridiculed. The value of black life is depleting rapidly in our subconscious, and until we address the issue with sincerity, love and great care then our young people face a very dark and dire future. And in the event of their demise, we will be responsible. How can a kid turn into a killer without anyone noticing? Who forgot to tell that child that they are special and intelligent and beautiful?
We recently caught up with talented 18 year old actor Shomari Brown who plays the lead male character in the film.
You play the title character in 'Zion', what is your character like?
Zion, he's cool, he's confident, he's calculated and he's a straight talking character. Because he grew up in the care system with no family, Zion quickly came to the conclusion that no one will be there for him but himself…so it’s Zion against the world!
Let’s talk a little bit about Shomari – what inspired you to become an actor in the first place and what has been your experience in the industry so far?
I've always had an interest for acting since I was young (11-13). When I was in year 7, I was told I had a natural ability for acting and should take it up as one of my options in year 10 and so I did. So far my experience in the industry has been GREAT! I did a summer project with Immediate Theatre at the Hackney Empire which then led to the final call backs for Joe Cornish's film 'Attack The Block'. I did some extra work for Adam Deacon's film 'Everywhere & Nowhere' and also did extra work for Aml Ameen's film 'Drinks Drugs & KFC' (DDK), which is where I met Sheila Nortley who offered me the lead role in 'Zion'…I was over the moon!
Have you noticed any similarities between you and your character?
Well I would say we look alike and we're around the same height…its spooky haha! No, seriously though, we both like our own company, I guess I'm a bit of a loner too.
What have you learned from playing the lead in ‘Zion’ amongst many other talented and successful industry professionals?
From working on set with the cast and crew I've learned that punctuality is important because with filming, some scenes can take twice as long as predicted and I think it’s really all been such a great learning experience for me.
What would you say is the difference between 'Zion' and other films that have tackled similar stories in the past?
I think the difference is that the characters Zion and Yemani have such a connection for two people who have just met. This gave the film a love theme whereas other similar films lean more towards the guns, knives and the road hype. Violence is often used to catch the audience’s attention but Zion shows love against a violent backdrop which is just as engaging, maybe even more so.
What is your opinion about black cinema; where would you like to see it go?
I'd like to see more films being made from a viewpoint that I can relate to, not just about the road hype because I think there are a million and one stories that can be told without the hype! Also, I would like to see it attract more of the youth of today and see it reach other countries to show them what 'Black British' cinema is about.
What’s next for Shomari Brown?
I've just finished shooting a music video 'By Your Side' by Trezee. Also, I've got another music video shoot coming up plus I got the lead in an upcoming movie with a supernatural theme… that's all I'm going to say for now.
Finally Shomari, what does diversity mean to you?
Diversity to me means choice, options & variety. I think diversity is healthy for ‘Black British' cinema from an urban perspective.
—END—
A huge thanks to the (charming!) Shomari Brown for taking part in the Scene Profiles series. Look out for a Scene Profiles piece on Producer Sheila Na'imah Nortley later this week.
Zion premieres at an exclusive event on December 8th.
For more information on Zion, visit the website: www.zionthemovie.co.uk
