The new season of Dreaming Whilst Black finds Kwabena at the start of his professional career in a new era: the age of diversity, equity and inclusion, where empowering marginalised voices are seemingly at the top of everyone’s agenda.
Whilst the entertainment industry might look progressive from the outside, it doesn’t feel that way to Kwabs. Desperate to work on a project that aligns with his values, he manages to secure a directing job for major TV series Sin and Subterfuge – a genre-busting period drama, helmed by the iconic black producer Bridgette Julienne.
For anyone who hasn’t seen Dreaming Whilst Black before – what is it about?
Dreaming Whilst Black is about Kwabena, a young man trying to navigate his family, work life and love in London as a broke aspiring artist trying to fulfill his dream; to be a filmmaker. Ultimately it’s just another Black experience.
Why was it important for you to tell this story?
I think it’s an important story to tell because we all have dreams. We all have that dream job, dream life that we’d like to live and this is about a guy who tries to chase it. It’s equally important because the ordinary mundane lives that most of us live deserve to have a platform. Immersing ourselves into extreme stories like crime dramas, whodunits and sci-fis are great but there’s also enjoyment and catharsis in seeing ourselves, as we are, in the worlds that we inhabit in our everyday lives.
Series one received huge critical acclaim – how did you feel getting that reaction?
We all thought we were making something special but you never know how audiences will receive your work. I was washed with relief and gratitude when my community enjoyed it as I set out to make it for them. However, receiving critical acclaim was a pleasant surprise. We don’t make work for acclaim so I see each one as a welcomed gift.
You are very involved in the whole process from conception to bringing it to life on screen-how do you find balancing all the different roles you have?
My roles are so different to the point where it feels like I have three different brains, which I can only access one at a time. So when writing I don’t think of myself as an actor or exec. I’ll write, read, then give myself notes on the script purely based on story. It’ll only be when reading said script as an exec where I see possible changes that’ll ease up pressure on the schedule or budget. But when prepping the same scene as an actor, I’ll then spot different issues in the script because the actor’s brain dissects scenes in a different way. All in all it makes for better scripts but does make life harder for the various departments that want locked scripts early.
How has Kwabs developed since the first series?
Kwabena is hungrier this season. He tasted a little success last season and is eager to seize the opportunity now. However he’s also carrying the bruises from the past as well. There are romantic feelings he’s suppressing and has a stricter moral compass after what happened to his cousin. This has made Kwabena determined but cautious to succeed without getting it wrong or hurting people along the way.
What parts of yourself have you put into Kwabena as a character?
From very early on Ali (my writing partner) was clear that we need to differentiate Kwabena from myself if we want to make the series funny so he is quite different to me. However I think I’ve put my good intentions into Kwabs. He doesn’t always make the right decisions but most times he does things with the best intentions, even if outcomes ends up hurting people (or himself).
What has been your favourite dream sequence to film?
I loved filming them all but if I had to choose I’d say the execution scene at the opening of episode 6. It was such an intense day (schedule wise) and I had to stretch myself very far from how I normally perform. The icing on the cake was that I managed to get my director friends (whom I’ve known since Dreaming Whilst Black was a web series) to be Supporting Artists in the scene. So the cocktail of time pressure and having to play a character in medieval England was an exciting challenge.
Do you ever create a dream sequence that you wish could be the ‘real’ scene / outcome for Kwabena – and if so, what stops you from making that happen?
Most of the dream sequences that cut back to reality I wish were “real” scenes however I have to stay true to the character (and many people). When unexpectedly confronted with emotionally distressing situations, we tend not to react in the way that we would in hindsight. So we tend to write the dream sequence as truthful as possible so when it cuts back to reality even I am as frustrated as the audience is with him.
You have a great ensemble cast, what can you tell us about them?
My cast mates are the best, honestly. Acting with them is like being in drama school (which I’ve never been to). Their wealth of knowledge, discipline and generosity makes filming such an enjoyable process. I hope the audiences enjoy watching as much as we enjoyed filming it because we had a blast.
What advice would you give to young black creatives trying to get their first foothold in the industry today?
I’d give them the same advice my tutor gave me, “if you make a film based in your flat, you and Scorsese can technically make the same film. However, if you choose to make an action film, the fact that he has millions of dollars, his film will be better.” The moral of the story is to focus on story and make within your means. If you only have your bedroom and two friends, write a story set in a bedroom with two friends. If you can’t afford lights, make a film set during the day.
Just focus on telling the most emotionally compelling story within the means and resources you have. The only difference between Dreaming Whilst Black web series and TV series is money. BBC saw a web series set in bedrooms and public spaces but found the story compelling enough and gave us a shot.
The story is the same, but the crews, budgets and locations are exponentially greater.
What do you hope audiences will take away from this series?
Stay true to yourself. Keep dreaming.
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