Khadijah's Medp 160 Blog

Oscar-winning drama, Moonlight , had multiple cinematography elements throughout the movie that gave depth to each character. The film’s retroactive effect felt nearly radical; in that characters we are expected to have little sympathy for are portrayed in such a complex, almost three dimensional manner. One element that stands out most in Moonlight is the use of lighting throughout the movie. Most movies may use bleak coloring and lighting within their scenes when attempting to portray the stories of such characters, but Moonlight defies this. Rather than using dark colors and harsh lighting to depict poverty, Moonlight utilizes Miami’s natural lighting from the very beginning. Liberty City is portrayed through lush coloring, and pastel lighting. The first scene alone of the movie utilizes such elements that set the tone for the rest of the movie. The film opens with a stylized shot of Juan, the town’s biggest drug dealer. Our perspective is swirled around him, making us feel almos...

As I step off the train, I hear the sounds of a bustling Liberty Avenue beneath the train station. Regardless of the time of day, I can expect to hear movement below me in the train station. It feels akin to an open-air museum, bearing an almost rooftop, panoramic view of ‘Little Guyana’ beneath me.  Walking down the stairs, I am met with the sound of Hare Krishna worshippers playing their small bell-like instrument to the rhythm of the devotional songs they sing. The bells sounds shrill, and the singing is offkey with too many voices muddled together, but the sound of it all is very familiar, and welcoming even.  Quickly after, my ears are flooded with calls of, “Taxi! Taxi!” to those walking down the stairs from the train. I shove past them, but as I cross the street I am met with even more taxi drivers shouting the same call.  I hear the Q10 bus approaching the bus stop before I even see it. As the bus pulls up to the stop, I hear the air brakes decompressi...

Project01_defineaspace from Katy Ally on Vimeo .

As an Indo-Guyanese American, I am forever bound to the hyphen. As such, much of my life has been defined by my mixed cultural background. Growing up, I seldom saw individuals in the media that represented my unique background, which in turn caused questions of self and identity to constantly arise. As a small sub-group within the Caribbean, we were never enough for any culture we supposedly belonged to; whether that be Caribbean, Indian, or American. How was the media meant to represent us when we couldn’t even figure out our own identities?  This identity crisis lasted a long time throughout my academic career. Not only could I not figure out my own culture, I was also struggling with identifying myself as a creative. It’s not a title I feel I’ve earned given that much of my academic career up until this point has remained very structured. I wasn’t an artist, or a singer. I couldn't write poetry or dance to a beat. I didn’t think I had the tools or platform to properly change...