I chatted with Rockwell, who grew up in Queens, went to high school in Brooklyn, and attended NYU film school, about where her films come from.
Vogue: Fortunate to see thousand and one It won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Can you tell me what it was like to win that award?
AV Rockwell: Oh my god. Sundance was a whirlwind. It’s just insane, and it could be a turning point for any filmmaker. But obviously, winning the jury prize is crazy. The most special part was hearing what the jury had to say – Jeremy O. Harris spoke for them all. His words are so pure, honest and heartfelt, you can really tell the movie touches him on a deep emotional level. I made this movie for people like him. I want people to be able to see themselves in these characters – that’s where real success is.
I know you grew up in Queens and went to high school in Brooklyn. Did you use your childhood in New York to tell this story?
I always knew I wanted to tell a story about growing up in NYC and saying goodbye to that time – just seeing this Cities have changed so drastically, and seeing first-hand how gentrification affects communities of color in particular, and black communities in particular, makes me feel targeted, like we’re being completely wiped from the city. Knowing what’s at stake, especially for a community like Harlem — and what that means not just for New Yorkers, but for Black identity in general, our heritage and culture, and American history — — to see it washed away is devastating.
People talk a lot about the benefits of gentrification, but when you think about the most vulnerable people, like my character, you see them trying to feel at home, to gain stability and to rebuild Family Bonds – Seeing them knocked out by new things thrown at our neighborhoods – THIS IS THE COST OF HUMANITY
Taylor stars as Inez and Aaron Kingsley Adetola stars as the film’s six-year-old Terry.
Image: Courtesy of Focus Features
