For Juneteenth today, we will be celebrating the Tribeca film “As Of Yet” directed by Chanel James and Taylor Garron. Juneteenth has now become a national federal holiday, which would not have happened if it wasn’t for the #BlackLivesMatter movement that rose to prominence last year in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. As these atrocities have been happening throughout history, it was interesting how the collective populace reacted to these latest instances last year.
In the past year there has been a growing awareness of Black history in America, such as the Tulsa massacre, that is often left out of history books. Films like “Miss Juneteenth”, the John Lewis doc and shows like “Watchmen” and “Lovecraft Country” added to that awareness. “As Of Yet” follows suit by capturing the moments of this past year through virtual screens. We highly recommend you watch the film today for “Juneteenth”.
Below is the official Tribeca Festival synopsis:
It’s been four long months since the lockdown began and like most of New York, Naomi (Taylor Garron who also wrote and co-directs) has been trapped inside her apartment. Her roommate escaped to Florida with her family, leaving Naomi all alone, and they’ve been struggling to communicate about increasing social and political upheavals, especially since the start of the pandemic. Meanwhile, she’s also been connecting with a gentleman online and she thinks it might be time to meet up, even if that means breaking quarantine against her better judgment. But not everyone is happy with this plan.
With a delicate touch, Garron and her co-director Chanel James radiate with creativity in these most trying times, making use of every available resource to safely persevere in the completion of their wildly independent narrative. Garron herself shines as she carries the proceedings, nimbly tackling the loaded existential anxieties and conflicts the pandemic has magnified with a casual charm and resilient spirit. Captured entirely through candidly framed video calls and naturally lit digital diaries, as of yet constructs a sharply paced comedic portrait of a young single Black woman navigating the crisis that is existing in America in the year 2020.
The film is available to stream through the Tribeca site until 6/23.
