Today we’d like to introduce you to Tre’Shunn Harlan.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in a hospital in Chinatown, Los Angeles, California. My story is full of beautiful moments and tragic ones. I was raised in South Central, Los Angeles. I have never had a relationship with my father. I was raised by a beautiful, powerful woman who did a kick-ass job at raising me, my identical twin brother, and my younger brother and sister. I was exposed to violence and death at a young age, from drug deals gone wrong to armed robberies, I’ve seen just about everything. As a kid, I spent my time doing the usual thing kids did. I rode my bike, played video games, and caused havoc with fellow neighborhood kids. In my early years in school, I excelled in math, science, and English. But something happened before graduating elementary. I began being physically abused by my teachers, and it made me hate school. I hated school because it made me feel the opposite of what I believed about myself. I felt small and obsolete. My sense of self was being reprogrammed. By the time I was a sixth grader, I was the class jester, making jokes non-stop, causing the classroom to explode with laughter. Creating disruption within the classroom became my favorite thing to do. On top of being the class clown, I was also outright defiant towards my teachers. My mother had me taken out of Carver Middle School when a kid my age brought a gun to school. I was placed in Paul Revere Middle School, a school up in the suburbs of Brentwood, California. There I was bullied by the Black and brown kids for not being ‘hood enough.’ I was also called the N-word by my white peers. I was a loner in middle school. I had very few friends. I spent nutrition and lunch alone, creating comic strips and cartoon characters. In high school, I performed okay. I was still a loner and was frequently targeted by bullies. A year before graduating high school, my house burned down. I remember going to school the next day and being told by my bully, “you should have stayed home today’ as he scoffed. My family and I moved to Palmdale, California. I graduated from Palmdale High and moved back to South Central, LA, into my old home after it was repaired.
After graduating from high school, I decided to work instead of going to college. My first job out of high school, I worked at a non-profit organization started by an actress. I designed the non-profit’s logo. Wrote our slogan and branded the majority of our content. I worked a slew of jobs after that while taking classes at my local community college. I always had a connection to the film. My mother would take me to the cinema every weekend to see a film of my choosing. It didn’t matter the rating. Literally anything, it was amazing. I think that’s where my passion for film began. I have always been a writer, writing short stories for fun, and sharing them online. I attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts summer writing program. It was there where I learned how to write screenplays. I decided that I did not want to study film during my undergraduate journey. After USC, I moved to Berkeley, California, where I studied social welfare, public policy, and international affairs at the University of California, Berkeley. While at UC Berkeley, I took a film making course where I made my first big short film, An American Story, which went on to be screened at the 2nd Annual Cinema New York Film Festival. Making that film was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. I consider it my first ‘baby’ because a lot of soul, heart, and passion went into it. Now at 28, I am practicing the art of patience and learning. I live in London, where I am honing my skills as a writer and director while at the same time earning my master’s in directing at the London Film School. My heart is still in LA, and I spend every break from school back home with friends and family.
Please tell us about your art.
I write and direct films. I’m essentially a filmmaker. I’ve worked on so many sets in many different roles. I’ve been the director of photography where I had the honor and privilege of shooting on rare 35MM film using a Super America Film camera. I’ve been a gaffer, a spark, and even a boom operator. While I enjoy most aspects of filmmaking, I prefer being the director. I have written and directed several short films, two of which I shot on 16mm film in London. Of all the art forms in the world, film making brings me the most joy. There is something magical about bringing an idea from your mind into the physical world. In short, film making to me is manifestation. They both begin as ideas that we have to nurture if we wish to see the idea become realized. As a filmmaker, I believe my work should reflect society and inform the masses. My first film, An American Story, which I completed nearly four years ago, explores the racism faced by Black families at the hands of police officers. It’s a film I wrote when I was in an unpleasant place. There is something dangerously dehumanizing about hearing about the frequent murder and abuse of Black bodies via the police force. I wrote the film at a time where it seemed like every single day. Cops were killing a Black person. An American Story is my outcry, there is a lot of pain inside that film, and I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve kept it unreleased. I want it to be viewed respectfully and not on a tiny screen or someone’s phone. An American Story mirrors American society in a straightforward way. My other films have allowed me to explore more freely. For example, my third film, after An American Story was Juju. Juju is about magic, power, and exploitation. The story follows a gifted child by the name of Elijah, who has magical abilities that are exploited by his abusive father. I always put a piece of myself in my films.
My most recent film is a documentary titled I Used To Hate Me. It’s a documentary about the violent, toxic relationship I once shared with my identical twin brother. I make films with intentions of one day having my films reach millions of people. I don’t plan on being a short time indie filmmaker. I’m aiming beyond the stars. I aspire to make films that are healing, that break curses and uplift people. The message of my work is to reveal the truth. Since conception, films have been used to indoctrinate societies into a system that benefits from self hatred. Films have been used to show people who to hate and who is worthy of life. It should be no secret that films of the past have led to skewed perspectives of Black and brown people in the present. With the stories that I create, I hope to empower people to follow their dreams and just go for it. There are not many directors who look like me or come from my hood, shout out ‘John Singleton’ rest in power. I want to show people the power of manifestation. If I can come this far in my craft, then there is no excuse for sleeping on your dreams. I wasn’t dealt the best hand, but I knew I had to play the game anyway. Ultimately with my films, I pray I can uplift spirits, heal hearts, and guide minds.
What advice do you have for artist struggling with resources?
Don’t let the lack of resources stop you from creating. I often hear people and even some of my friends making excuses for why they can’t produce their work or make the art they want. To me, there is no excuse for not creating. If you want to be a part of this world, then sacrifices will be made. You have to be willing to struggle while you find your footing. It definitely won’t be easy. I can’t even promise that it will be worth it. But speaking from my own experiences, it has been a long hard journey to get to where I am now, and I am nowhere near where I want to be. I know that I have faith that everything will work out for the best. I don’t know how. I just have a deep sense of knowing. For more practical advice, those struggling can do what I did and what most of us continue to do. I got a job as a cashier/waiter/bartender at a restaurant and made just enough money to survive. I worked there long enough to score a job at a start-up in San Francisco. Then I saved up a few thousands dollars and invested it all into my craft as a writer and director. My best advice for struggling artists is this; you should develop and build a relationship with whichever God you believe in. Faith is going to help you achieve what you want to. For me God and my ancestors do a lot of the heavy lifting for me. Faith is a secret weapon when mastering the universe.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have a website and a few other art pages where I share my films and visual art pieces. But the best way to watch my films is at one of my shows. There I screen several of my films in a theater setting and host a Q & A. I answer questions and break down how to make films and how little it takes to get the ball rolling. The best way to support me is by following my journey, supporting my social media pages, and simply engaging with me and my ideas. But if you’re an executive at a big production studio, I’m looking at you Marvel, bring me in for a meeting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.treshunn.com
- Phone: 0723688641
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tredirects/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treshunn.harlan
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tregodx
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treshunnharlan/
Image Credit:
Behind the scene photos taken by Mary Yasmine Sesay, Carolina Ratcliff and Jay Piong
Pictured in photos: Tre’Shunn Harlan, Morgan Hudson, Aditya Sharma, Miranda Shamiso, Agustina Dieguez Buccella, Danny Jackson and Nicole Littleton
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