In Time

The story of “In Time” started on my way to a doctor’s appointment. I could not miss it, nor did I want to. A determined little girl appeared out of nowhere, and asked me for a ride to school. If I helped her, I’d miss the appointment. But more importantly, if I didn’t, what would happen to her? Questions swirled in my mind-the same questions that went through Mona’s head and more.

This should have been a transient, fleeting moment, one out of many unplanned events in a sea of more obvious, and defining moments. It stayed with me, though. A person’s journey to restoration and healing often happens one step at a time, at the pace they are meant to go through and outcomes can feel unclear. But there are what feel like interruptions that have nothing to do with the journey. All of that in the midst of people around us telling us that our pace needs to match their timing, our actions need to meet their standards and our level of performance perfection the way they define it. I wanted to explore those themes, the contrasts and their consequences through “In Time”.

I wanted the audience to be caught up in the fast paced nature of Mona’s own world, while grappling with the idea of healing and transformation being a slow process. From a production standpoint, striking that balance in a short film, shot over two and a half days, proved challenging at times. Yet, it opened opportunities to explore and discover new things! Like for Mona, the process itself with its interruptions or unmet expectations in the moment, when embraced, took me a step closer to a stronger and better story.

At the outset, it was important for the producers to get behind a film that would have at least 50% diversity. We accomplished that with over 70% diverse local crew-women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC, and the story was written with Black characters. Diversity in this context is even more meaningful when inclusion and equity are part of the equation. Working as a diverse crew meant making space for each other’s role, contributions and, learning about one another, and that requires humility, respect and trust.

I felt strongly about showing that a Black woman’s strength can come from a vulnerable and a broken place, without engendering self-pity nor condescension from the rest of the world. I wanted this Black woman and this young Black girl to experience that healing can come from accepting shortcomings, reaching out, and saying “no” to the expectations that they must do it all perfectly.