NAKED: A Michigan-made Film Inspired by the Voices and Experiences of Black Women
Article by Olivia York
Developmentally Edited by Alexandra Hidalgo
Copy Edited and Posted by Iliana Cosme-Brooks
The multifaceted pressures and expectations that are created in and around the Black community continue to harbor unspoken suffering for women within it—and 20-year-old Brenda Walker is determined to shine a light on these issues with the art and heart of independent filmmaking.
NAKED, the 50-minute fiction film Walker created (and brought to life by her co-writers and co-producers Sydni Morgan and Jessica Austin), amplifies the voices of Black women by normalizing conversations around colorism, codependency, body image, and competition.
For college roommates Alexandria (Zaria Aikens), Dalia (Melaine Mucene), Amina (Daija Bendolph), and their friend Charlie (Sydni Janee), move-in night takes a twisted turn when the girls play a game of “Never Have I Ever.” Drunken tongues speak sober minds as they begin to unveil personal vulnerabilities around their religious ideals, confidence, representation (or lack thereof), self-fulfillment, sense of security, and independence, and as confrontation turns to conversation, the girls find they have more in common than meets the eye.
This powerful and groundbreaking narrative was also inspired by true events—events that were explored by Brenda Walker herself.
Walker, who worked as a co-producer, co-writer, director, and social media manager for the film, first had the idea for this project during the spring of 2020 after capturing an array of eye-opening interviews in a passion project.
“I interviewed a diverse group of 50 Black women and asked them about their experiences with body image, colorism, competition, and codependency,” Walker explains. “My interviews with these ladies felt like informal conversations. They opened up about their experiences with these topics, which revealed the relatable effects these issues had on women all across the board.” After conducting the interviews, Walker calculated some devastating results: 75% of the women personally struggled with all four topics, while 100% related to at least two. “From there, I knew there was a story that could be told.” Walker said.
Walker first introduced the idea of this project to Sydni and Jessica, and as Black women who could relate to the experiences Walker captured in the interviews, they decided to develop the film together. With this powerhouse of Black women taking on roles as co-writers, co-producers, and creators, the themes and values of NAKED’s narrative allow its story to be told from an authentic and genuine place, instead of by someone who doesn’t look like (or inherently understand) the characters. “Sometimes we find that a film’s story is being told by the wrong person,” Walker notes. “This is not the case with NAKED.”
These intentional creative decisions will be undeniably recognized, which is exactly what Walker hopes for.
“I’m hoping Black women audiences will understand that our experiences can help bring us together,” she says. “We’ve all had some of those experiences or known someone who has had some type of encounter with these four themes, and I want the film to show them that Black women can rise together and normalize the conversation of colorism, body image, competition, and codependency.”
“Visual storytelling is what drives my work ethic,” Walker said.
Walker recognizes that her audience is not limited to this single demographic. She hopes that the story will also be relevant to other groups. “For Black men and other audiences, I want them to actively listen and observe the voices of Black women,” she says. “We are constantly silenced and looked over because of the ‘Strong Black Woman’ stigma. I want our stories to finally be understood.”
While the project took an immeasurable amount of effort to complete, Walker remained determined the entire way through. “There were times where I felt exhausted or completely stressed from the various things that had to be done,” she explains. “However, the idea of NAKED being completed and having its impact on audiences is what kept me going.”
The film will be available to stream on YouTube in late September. To follow the film’s journey and to receive updates on the details of its premiere, you can visit the film’s website and Instagram. Connect with Olivia by visiting her profile.