Life, the city | Putting your story on screen

Our journalist walks around Greater Montreal to talk about people, events or places that mark urban life

“You are here for a very specific reason: you have been able to stand out through your authenticity,” says Harry Julmice, co-founder of Never Was Average (NWA), a collective that uses art as a driving force for change.

In front of him, the 10 elected officials selected to follow the self-development program Creators like no other, “focused on community and inclusiveness” and designed to “facilitate the atypical journey” of black people in the workings of Quebec cinema.

With 95 applications submitted, the selection was difficult. “It was important for us to have inspiring projects, but also creators who have a story to tell through their personality and their journey,” underlines Harry Julmice.

One of them, Quintina Lawrence, has a short film project about two young homeless people. Another, Myriam Louis, wants to write about the relationship between a mother and her thirty-year-old university daughter.

The program, supported by the Dynastie Foundation and the Canada Media Fund (CMF), first includes online training with around ten master classes – accessible to all – given by proven filmmakers, including Miryam Charles, Khoa Lê, Aziz Zoromba, Ella Cooper and Mélanie Brière.

For nine months, participants will take part in workshops to refine their writing and learn how to complete a project through its production and financing. Not to mention mentoring and set visits. “The primary objective is to develop your skills to make a final pitch to producers,” Harry Julmice tells the cohort. “There will be a closing event with members of the industry,” he adds.

We attended the first meeting between the participants. Everyone already had great stories in mind. Kim Ninkuru has one about the love story between two black trans people. Inspired by the movie MoonlightJoys Sekpon speaks rather of “a coming-of-age for a young black woman”.

Frankie Perez, photographer who made the American Olympic breaking team (but who did not qualify for Paris), wants to make a web series on the culture of street dance.

We must also highlight the project of Darnly Dubois, a radio host well known to CIBL listeners, inspired by a book she received, but which has since been out of print, and whose title is From Haiti to Quebec: some women’s journeys. “We find the journeys of Haitian women who arrived in Quebec from the 1950s to the 2000s. I had the copyright to the book and I want to bring it back to life with a web series. »

Trust each other

“We leave our imposter syndrome at the door,” Harry Julmice insists to participants. It’s a difficult environment. If you don’t believe in yourself, the environment will break you. »

“Your stories are important and there will always be someone who wants to listen to them,” adds Joanna Chevalier, co-founder of NWA.

After all, it is for this reason that the two long-time friends founded the organization Never Was Average: so that art promotes speech and emancipation in a spirit of community.

In 2020, NWA was behind the mural Black lives matter, rue Sainte-Catherine. We also owe him several exhibitions and numerous round tables, from the McCord Museum to the Musée de la civilization.

From a boutique to a collective

Before founding NWA, Harry and Joanna owned the independent clothing boutique 363 Beaubien Street. A boutique that the two fashion lovers opened with heads full of ideas…… which quickly turned into disillusionment. “We experienced exclusion,” says Harry, citing a lot of unsightly examples.

“Was it not being taken seriously by suppliers, for example?

“Even worse,” he replies. It was feeling like we don’t want to do business with you. »

Harry grew up being told that he faced discrimination. “But as long as you haven’t experienced an unfair situation when you want to make your place in society, it remains something abstract. »

Closing the store was a hard blow, especially since Harry and Joanna had become mentors to young people who wanted to emulate them.

But the feeling of failure transformed into a revelation. “We saw that there was a need to share our knowledge and experiences, and a need for representation and mentors,” says Harry.

But we had to go beyond the discussion with artistic projects. “Creativity generates conversations and brings people together,” argues Joanna Chevalier.

NWA facilitated the birth of the artist collective By Us For Everyone, for example.

“It’s important that artists are recognized by their peers,” explains Harry Julmice, recalling that creators must have the chance to perform or exhibit themselves to be recognized.

“The fact that artists participated in the mural Black life accountthey were able to apply for scholarships from the Arts Council,” he illustrates.

Formations

For several years, NWA has also offered training to develop more inclusive practices. There is a thirst for learning on the part of businesses, a thirst that existed less when Harry and Joanna had their shop. “But I really believe that support is needed,” argues Harry. It takes more than good intentions: you need the right tools to truly translate values ​​into positive and tangible actions. »

“There are also a lot of fears,” he observes. We want to take action, but we don’t want to make any missteps. »

Joanna also told participants in the film program how she and Harry had no idea that their documentary short Love is Love, modestly produced in 2017, was going to be presented at the Montreal International Documentary Meetings (RIDM) and even be offered on ICI Tou.tv.

“You are all creators like no other. Your stories are important,” she insisted.

Visit the Creators Like No Other program website