410 STAMPED
Nicole Taylor-Roberts / 2021 / 17 min
18-year-old singer, Rashida, finds the magic of her voice on one wild night that has her navigating racism, mental illness, and romance in the company of an admirer who has something to hide. Starring Eden Duncan-Smith (See You Yesterday, Roxanne Roxanne)"410 Stamped" is about a young Black woman fighting to make her voice heard. She is the leader of her band and the only female. She is surrounded by men, telling her "no." And all she has to do is make sure she and her crew make it to their audition -- their one shot at something better -- on time. But when the men in her life cause things to fall apart, she reaches her breaking point and makes what she needs to happen, happen for herself.
From the filmmaker:
This story was in my head since 2004 -- as a feature. I didn't have the agency to make it then, so the story got shelved over time. I guess every story has its moment, and this film's timing wasn't until now. One of the themes in this film -- that racism and phobias (for my co-star, a fear of germs) are equal disorders -- I don't think would have resonated back then. This theme made my film oddly prophetic. I never imagined that it would be completed amid the Black Lives Matter movement, at the height of the pandemic.
I did this project for several reasons. I wanted to put a Black female in the lead, show the unsaid things about interracial attraction, and comment on misogynoir and its microaggressions. I want audiences to notice these things in my film. I want the audience to enjoy the ride that this film takes you on; I want the audience to enjoy the soundtrack that artist D Smoke shepherded. I want the audience to learn from this film's themes and connect with my characters. -- even fall in love with them, especially my leading lady, the very talented Eden Duncan-Smith.