Azomali Obsakin

Artist Statement

When I was little I wanted to make a you tube channel, and then my mom found In progress on Face Book and thought that might be a good fit for me. I was seven years old. The year was 2020 and I just kind of showed up. I got into filmmaking, by showing up to a workshop for young storytellers. I remember being very nervous because there were so many people that had ideas but I had no clue what kind of a story I should make. Before I knew it, my instructors got me writing, and that is how my first movie got started. I really like making films because they carry the power to inspire others. It is also fun to work with other people that share your ideas.

The storylines for my films come from my own life experience. My first movie was all about love. I remember one night I couldn’t fall asleep and so my mom let me watch tv with her. At that time, George Floyd had just been murdered and there were riots in the street. People were shouting out words of love and hate… it was chaotic. And it was difficult to watch. Life had changed for me in that moment…. The peaceful quiet world I had known seemed to have disappeared. I made my first video to remind people that love is the most powerful emotion we have and it has the ability to heal even the worst hurts. My second film Racism Must Stop was made because I personally experienced racism at my school. It hurt, it was not handled well by adults. And it got me to thinking about what we need to do as a community to bring an end to racism.

I want anyone that sees my film to feel inspired to take their own firs steps to stopping racist behavior. If we all can recognize our own power to reshape the world, we can end hurtful and cruel behavior. Making videos supports me in speaking up and speaking out about how we can all do better. 5. For people to fight for us and with us, makes us all better and makes us all a stronger community. When we can feel empathy for the struggles faced, especially by children we can change behavior. I strongly believe that racism must stop. And my movie is my first step to making that happen.

Portfolio samples