Today we’d like to introduce you to D. Wilmos Paul.
Hi D. Wilmos, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a filmmaker; a writer/director to be precise. The journey to this title started a little something like this. For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved movies, but I had not the faintest idea that it was a career path in the part of the world where I was raised. I said raised because while I was born in Liberia, West Africa, I fled the war in that country as an infant, settling in the neighboring Ivory Coast where I was partly raised. I will expand on that shortly. But Ivory Coast is where my older brother introduced me to movies. At first, movies were just pure entertainment. Something to pass the time. I couldn’t relate much to the Western and Asian movies I saw on TV. Those stories were just far from my reality. This all changed though when African movies started to boom in the late 90s. This was more like it. Stories that I could finally relate to. People who looked and sounded like me. While this upspring in African movies swept across the continent in the late 90s, it was largely still viewed as pure entertainment for me. But this changed when – while still seeking refuge from my war-ravaged nation, moved to a refugee camp in Ghana. There, I discovered more African movies – not just viewing them but also making them. I was inspired by a once-famous African actor named Jim Ike. I was going to be an actor, I declared, even though I had no idea how to go about becoming one. Fortunately, I was given an opportunity to resettle in the United States since Liberia’s fifteen-year civil war was still ravaging the nation. My family and I settled in Philadelphia, PA. With this new opportunity, my passion for entertainment grew and the possibility to pursue that endeavor and much more seems limitless. I doubled down on my desire to be an actor, but I’d soon learn that my thick African accent posed a problem. A small part of the inspiration behind my 2022 short film, Mother’s Tongue (Mother Tongue) which follows Junior, an African teenager, ashamed of his accent, who enrolls in a creative writing club, thinking he can make it through the semester without speaking… until he’s faced with his worst fear.
My struggle with language, especially mastering American English (Oh, because I speak Liberian English just fine. “I eat it like kanyan,” my Liberian people would say) kinda got in the way of me belonging and making meaningful connections in my newfound home in Philadelphia. I guess I should make a pit stop here and expand on this now. Liberian English to me is like Jamaican patois – although derivative of English, it’s its own thing. Anyway… moving on here – my struggle with language led me to cinema and its own unique language that transcends almost all languages. Cinema language is a language that derives from and builds on a language that all humans understand instinctually. Take for example, if a stranger laughs, smiles, or cries, none of us need a translator to explain what’s being communicated. These nonverbal communication cues are where cinema derives its power from, and realizing that, I leaned into the language wholeheartedly because, despite my struggle with the English language, I always wanted to connect with people from all walks of life. I’m a war-baby turned refugee with no country and now an immigrant. If one thing my migration throughout the years has thought me is that my people are everywhere, and the language of cinema is how I intend on connecting with them. This journey led me to UCLA’s renounced film school where I’d be graduating here shortly after directing my thesis film, Part-time Marriage; a story that follows a parolee, John, and an immigrant with an expiring green card, Promise, who find their marriage of convenience becoming something more.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? Yes, and no. Again, I’m a war baby turned refugee and now an immigrant, so anything compared to that is a smooth road, but no, in the sense that I had a lot to figure out by trial and error. Being an immigrant means, I’m not only figuring out how to become a filmmaker, but I also had to figure out how this new home of mine functions, access to resources, and how to put myself in the best position for success. And to be honest, I’m still figuring it out like the rest of us on this American journey, honestly.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a storyteller most of my work involves telling stories about the so-called little people of society, people who feel like outsiders, do not belong but always making sure to tell those stories with overarching hopeful tones. You can see how stories that deal with those kinds of themes speak to a war-baby, turned refugee, turned immigrant like myself. It’s without a doubt that my unique worldview is shaped by my experiences as a refugee in Africa, and as an immigrant living in America – both experiences help me easily understand the plight of refugees fleeing war in Ukraine, for example or children from inner cities like Philadelphia navigating violent neighborhoods. Both of which I’ve experienced. But I always make sure that my films are hopeful and inspiring because for me to be in this position today is nothing short of inspiration, even to myself… everyday! To have the opportunity to tell stories for a living… Living answered prayers is all I can say.
In terms of what currently has my focus…uummm, I’m currently focused on making my thesis project, Part-time Marriage, I mentioned earlier. We’re shooting in the last week of July and are currently in the early stages of casting. I’m aiming to make the romantic dramedy of the decade. Think Love Jones! Titanic! Love and Basketball! That’s where I want to stick my claim with this film. It’s a proof-of-concept short right now, so the ultimate goal is to turn it into a feature once the short is released, and people get a taste of what I’m talking about when I say romantic dramedy of the decade. Just so I’m clear, the tone of the film borrows influences from movies like Pretty Woman, Focus with Will Smith and Margot Robbie, and a sprinkle of Bonnie and Clyde element. But I mentioned the previous films because they are regarded as some of the favorite romantic movies of our time. So, yea, man, our casting goal now is to get some recognizable faces, and on-the-rise actors involved with project. If you come across this interview in time and are interested in being involved with the project, please DM me on IG.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Some of my favorite books that help me do my best in life are The Outlier by Malcolm Gladwell, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav, and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. Podcasts: Revisionist History and the Happiness Lab.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwilmospaul/?hl=en
Image Credits
Paul Anthony Luna
