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“Putting Aside the Hierarchical Madness that Often Plagues Productions”: Director Tayarisha Poe | Selah and the Spades
Selah and the Spades Whenever directors watch their own films, they always do so with the knowledge that there are moments that occurred during their production — whether that’s in the financing and development or shooting or post — that required incredible ingenuity, skill, planning or just plain luck, but whose difficulty is invisible to most spectators. These are the moments directors are often the most proud of, and that pride comes with the knowledge that no one on the outside could ever properly appreciate what went into them.
So, we ask: “What hidden part of your film are you most privately proud of and why?”
It’s a quiet kinda pride and it’s not hidden, exactly, but it’s something that you wouldn’t know about if you weren’t there, but anyways: the kindness that everyone, cast and crew, showed one another at each level of the process. The ways that people spoke to one another, the assumption of good will, the patience, the willingness to listen first to understand before jumping to respond. We made a movie without sacrificing what was so very important to me: treating one another like collaborators and equals, putting aside the hierarchical madness that often plagues productions. We acted, daily, in service of a story, and so much exhausted fun was had. I’m proud of that. I’m proud of my people.
