Overview
Amiree Knight is a 20 year old African-American women. During her therapy session with Dr. Melody Sims, Amiree reveals the hidden truth of why she is there. Struggling with the
process of grief, Amiree must break down to admit to herself, her best friend is never coming back.
The Color in Grief is about Amiree's process of accepting Talia's death and how she couldn't
prevent her from committing suicide.
Story
Much like my character Amiree, I lost my best friend, Cyan, to suicide. I couldn’t wrap my head around it and I couldn't stop thinking about the what if’s. What if I wasn’t in a different state that summer? What if I could’ve said something impactful during what would’ve been our last weekend together? All these what if moments swirled around in my head until I couldn’t take it. I had to get closure on a situation I would never have answers to.
Going to therapy was a weird decision to make. More or so because as a person of color, a woman at that, there is a stigma that surrounds the idea of black people going to therapy. So for me to take that step, in deciding to go was so foreign. I’m such a “I can do it myself” person that admitting I needed a professional to help me sort through my feelings was a big step to take but I don’t regret it. My therapist helped me address the “what if’s” and helped me realize there was nothing I could do.
It’s been a year and a few months since Cyan took her life. I have my good days and I have my hard days. I catch glimpses of her whenever I’m on the subway, I hear her in every old song that we used to dance around to, I see her in every Rom-com we would’ve rented to watch at either of our houses, always crying at the sappy love stories, and I miss her when I'm with our original girl gang. Writing, "The Color in Grief" has been difficult because it’s our story. Every time I went to type anything for the script it felt like I was giving away our moment, but in a way I’m telling a small fraction of her story.
"The Color in Grief" belongs to Amiree and Talia. They are their own entities, they have their own goals, and they have their own beautiful friendship that I can’t wait to share with you all. I would love for all of you to be apart of their story. To be apart of mine.
To end this I would like to write an open letter to the girl who will always be my best friend,
Cyan you have been my best friend for 12 years or longer if you consider when we first met. It all started with Leon playing flag football or when you walked up to me in our elementary school hallway and said "Hey, I'm Cyan like the color" and boy did that become your signature phrase when you introduced yourself.
Well Cyan, like the color, you became my best friend and brought so much color to my life. I will always admire your ability to light up a room, turn any frown into a smile, and your careless and free spirit. You taught me how to take life a little less serious and we helped each other get out of our comfort zones. We pushed each other to become better versions of ourselves and I will always be thankful for that.
So to my wifey,the Stilinski to my McCall, my rugby player, my number 15, to my number one wing woman, supporter and ride or die, this film is for you, because you are quite unforgettable.
Meet the Director
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Antreise Lacey is a Colorado Springs, Colorado native. With a background in theater, Lacey never saw herself falling in love with film until she got accepted into the Youth Documentary Academy. During her time in YDA she wanted to explore how the representations of light and dark skinned African American women play into damaging and destructive stereotypes and injure self-esteem. Lacey enlisted six young women, friends, and peers, to weigh in on the issue of the terms “light skin” and “dark skin” for her short documentary SHADE.
Following YDA, SHADE was picked up at several film festivals: The Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, All American High School Film Festival, the Scout Film Festival and a congressional screening in Washington D.C. Recently, Lacey’s film SHADE was packaged for a new Rocky Mountain PBS series called “Our Time”. Since going through YDA, Lacey has gone on to hone her skills in cinematography, producing and directing at Hofstra and has interned at ABC News and will be interning with CBS. Lacey hopes to continue creating films that are truthful and that will shed light on her community.
What We Need
We are seeking to raise $6,000 to make this film. Ultimately, the funds will primarily go towards our lovely cast, acquire more equipment, locations, and our art/costume design team. (Did we mention there is a prom scene?!) By donating you will allow us to reach our goal and bring our vision to life.
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Other Ways You Can Help
- DONATE and embark on this journey with us!
- SPREAD THE WORD about THE COLOR IN GRIEF campaign through social media.
- Please SHARE this link with your friends and family!
- Send positive vibes throughout our process.
