Check out this interview that soulciti.com did on me. A staff writer from the on-line publication, came to Thursday nights screening of Katrina’s Son in Austin. Here it goes…
Written by Hope Green for soulciti.com on August 4th, 2010:
I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Ya’Ke Smith, the masterful writer and director of a short film entitled “Katrina’s Son”. This young man truly took one of America’s most devastating events and brought truth to its aftermath. Now that the fickle eye of publicity has moved away from the torn city, what is the current state of its people? Ya’Ke does an incredible job of highlighting the reality of the matter.
Katrina’s Son is a short film dedicated to one of many untold human survival stories. The main character is a young actor from Austin, TX by the name of Herman ‘Tre’ Whitney. This young man’s gifted portrayal of life’s hard hitting reality truly makes you feel his pain. Under the graceful directing skills of Ya’Ke Smith this child’s story of homelessness is put in your face. The imagery makes you want to ask what you can do to lessen the burden. You want to know how many others have found themselves in similar situations. The way Ya’Ke tells a story does not allow the viewer to walk away with the same ignorance.
I truly applaud the boldness Ya’Ke took in telling this story not from a point of view of a feel good movie, but from that of reality. Ya’Ke did not shy away from telling the truth. In my conversation with Ya’Ke Smith he mentioned that he is often asked about using a different ending that might not be so harsh. Here is Ya’Ke’s answer:
Ya’Ke: If I changed the ending, then it would no longer be true. I want truth to be the star of my films.
Hope: What’s next for you?
Ya’Ke: We are working tirelessly right now to develop Katrina’s Son into a full-length feature film, seeking investors and backers.
Hope: When did you get started in film?
Ya’Ke: I produced my first film at the age of 15. That is when I met some of the people who are still making films with me years later.
Hope: How many films have you made to date? What would you say has been your most memorable?
Ya’Ke: I believe it has been about 12 so far. The most memorable? That is a difficult question, but I would have to say the the ‘moment’ I hold most dear to me would be after a showing of “Second Coming” This film is about fathers who are not present in their children’s lives. I can remember being in the restroom and a number of rather large, menacing looking gentlemen came in… in tears. They shared their stories of not having their fathers around, and mistakes they had made as fathers, and what they are now going to different.
Hope: Wow. What a profound encounter that had to be…
Ya’Ke: Yes, and that is what my work is all about. Evoking change.
Hope: Where do you tend to find inspiration?
Ya’Ke: Sparks come from all over. I can encounter a situation at the supermarket or driving home that will set off a motion picture in my head.
Hope: Do you have any up and coming projects in the works right now?
Ya’Ke: Yes. I am working on a story entitled “The Wolf”. It’s about a boy that was molested by a Priest and the story deals with how his family handles the aftermath.
Hope: Deep stuff. So, when you are not dealing with some aspect of film… be it writing, taping, editing or directing… what are you doing?
Ya’Ke: Whoa. I don’t have an answer for that. I am a writer at heart. So I am always either writing a new story, or teaching the next generation to do so. My wife often tells me I need to take a break…. Maybe one day I will figure out how to do that (smile).
Towards the end of my conversation with Ya’Ke he spoke about what his deep spiritual foundation and what drives him to work so hard. It is his desire to give the world an alternate view of from what they see about life in the news. Ya’Ke tackles some heavily controversial and some times political issues, but he gives them a human face. A real face. Ya’Ke’s target audience tends to be those that represent our fathers of tomorrow. He sets out to inspire these men (18-35) to see themselves in a different light. Letting them know that they can do anything; it’s just going to take a lot of work, but it can be done.
To learn more about Ya’Ke’s work and his up coming shows and events, please visit his official website at www.exodusfilmworks.com
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