Powerful consciousness is learned. Consciousness has flourished as humans have not had to be forceful to survive. When contemplating the concept of consciousness, words used in the documentary surfaced. Words like love and fear. There’s a specific demarcation in consciousness where a person becomes able to think proactively. In the documentary, the young black boy feels the weight of history’s expectations. Consciously he decides all he is going to do is love. He’s a live performer now. There is a Q and A with noteworthy Africans discussing the film. In it, Nathan’s ability to captivate was highlighted. It’s because consciousness radiates!
Watch: Enough.
It’s 13 minutes long. Think about it. Feel it.
If you want educated, thoughtful commentary on what you just experienced, listen to the panel discussion titled, “The Societal Impact of Art & Storytelling,” with moderator Chris Jenkins. You can find the discussion HERE.
The discussion is between four people: Nathan Nzanga, the main character of the film; Caleb Slain, the director; Chelsea Miller, a leading Voice of Policy Change and worked for president Obama as an intern and Michael Eric Dyson.
First the listener gets some backstory. Caleb and Nathan met at a concert. Nathan sent Caleb some tracks and the words of them reflected conversations Caleb was having with his friends at the same time. Nate’s music was “Pumping a spirit though,” which is noticed by many others.
Michael has written a lot about identity. “What came up for you,” asks Chris. Michael replies, “It was extraordinary because I have the same feeling as my beloved brother. I just finished my book on Obama..anguish, trauma spill onto paper.”
Michael feels “Enough.” is the visual accompaniment to his book.
“When I watch the film I see the power and the beauty of image and tension between truth and the criminalization of that truth. “
Q:”what can art do that politics can’t?
A: “Art can tell the truth. So many truths are compromised in politics.”
“Art stitches together confused feelings, ways of being, distances, orientation that politics can’t.”
“Something immediate that connects with the heart.”
“… culture that refuses to recognize your humanity.”
Chris to Chelsea – What came up for you when you first saw this film?
“When you talk about black children they tend to be criminalized and the journey of becoming. As you get older there are so many boxes that come to confine you. You’re protected from that anxiety as a child but even as a black child he had dreams about being killed.”
“In dreams, we let reality go. In dreams, we can put our expectations down.”
“I’m willing to be as vulnerable as possible.
“Humanity needs to be put back.”
Humanity should create a post racial society with the goal being to step outside the bounds of white supremacy – race being a social construct. Existence in emotional halves – this is how the film is both a dream and a nightmare.
What stuck with me is Nathan’s assertion that he was going to love going forward and anything else is nonsense. He talked of fear of who he’d become, passed down through his culture. About the same time I encountered a quote about ancestral trauma being carried in our psyches. A book I can’t forget is, Power Vs Force by Dr. David Hawkins. In it he writes about the vibration of feelings like love and hate. He does not talk about how they are passed down through generations but the 13 minutes of enough I hear the fight of consciousness to rise above fear, which any human has to do. Enough adds the black skinned aspect of the struggle to be conscious.
Since I penned this, an auction opened up with a poster designed by Akiko Stehrenberger.
Enough. has inspired the multi-award-winning artist and celebrated Hollywood movie poster illustrator to create a one-of-a-kind piece, as a dedication to amplifying the film’s powerful message.
Capturing the essence of a film within a single image, Akiko’s signature emotive and nostalgic artistry can be seen on posters for the recent Spike Lee film, Da 5 Bloods, and the Sundance award-winning film The Last Blackman in San Francisco.
A virtual auction has been launched for a chance to own her artwork inspired by the enough. film.
Bids for the painting and additional information can be found here:
https://www.prodigycamp.org/enough-poster-auction
