Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Nzingha Stewart and Keyonna Taylor, the Director and Co-Writer of Me/We

By Lucy Spicer

One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about them as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!

I used to always say when there was some problem on set, It's not like we're doing something like a teacher or doctor, you know something really important,' recalls director Nzingha Stewart. I don't say that anymore. Being on lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 really cemented the importance of storytelling for Stewart, who began her career directing music videos before branching out into television and film. I saw what film did for people who were lonely - it was a friend and a comfort. What it did for parents who needed to entertain their kids so they could work. What it did for people who needed to reconnect over a story with their partner. What it did for people who needed to lose themselves from a heartbreaking time even if it was just for a little while, she explains. I'll never again diminish that.

There's no doubt as to the importance of the stories Stewart is telling with her series Me/We, whose first episode premiered as part of the Episodic Pilot Showcase at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The pilot stars Camryn Jones as Amaria Yaya Jones, a dance-loving teenager hoping to convince her brother to let her walk to school with her crush. The real-life Amaria Jones was killed in 2020 when a stray bullet came through a window in her home; this episode celebrates the young girl's life.

Keyonna Taylor, one of Me/We's co-writers, recognizes the power of bringing stories to the screen in particular. Someone told me that I should just make this a book of memoirs because it's easier to get made, she says. But I didn't want to just write a book, I wanted to help create legacies for these people who were robbed of the opportunity to create one for themselves.

Below, discover the emotions Stewart and Taylor hope to convey with the story, the challenges and joys that came with filming in Chicago, and why it's crucial that Me/We reaches audiences now.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-nzing...
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