Where Our Souls Expand

Hi Beautiful People,

I want to begin by formally introducing myself. My name is B. Monét. I am a multidisciplinary artist — a writer, director, imagemaker, performer, and painter — always seeking to illuminate the complexities of Black life while expanding how our interior worlds are seen, felt, and understood.

Genre has never been something I fixate on. I let the story lead. I surrender to whatever medium feels most honest, most necessary, most alive.

I have always been guided by imagery and storytelling that is thought-provoking, beautiful, alluring, and striking. I am deeply moved by films that allow our existence to unfold on screen in ways that feel both vulnerable and powerful. There are so many things we experience as Black people that are nuanced, layered, and sometimes nearly impossible to articulate. I’m drawn to storytellers who are willing to go the distance — willing to say the unsayable, to hold the contradictions, to bravely reveal what we’re still navigating in the boldest ways.

Below are some of the films that continue to move me, shape me, and stay with me long after the credits roll.

Black Girl in Paris (2013)

Directed by Kiandra Parks | Short Film | United States

When a down on her luck aspiring writer runs out of money after moving to Paris, she meets a street-smart prostitute who takes her on a whirlwind adventure of passion, self-discovery and uninhibited sexual freedom.

Adapted from the novel by acclaimed writer Shay Youngblood, Black Girl in Paris, is one of the most beautiful short films I’ve ever seen. We often think of coming-of-age stories as belonging to teenagers, but this film reminds us that self-discovery has no age limit. I love that this film centers a Black woman's decision to move to Paris in search of herself. There is something powerful about watching someone dare to try something new despite fear and uncertainty.

Killer of Sheep (1978)

Directed by Charles Burnett | Feature | United States

Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.

Widely regarded as a landmark of African American cinema, Killer of Sheep, is one of the most striking films I’ve ever encountered. It's a reminder that daring art often comes from trusting your instincts and honoring the world exactly as it is. Shot in luminous black-and-white on celluloid, every frame feels like a portrait of working-class Black life. I deeply respect artists who are hands-on with their work, and knowing that Burnett wrote, shot, directed, produced, and edited this film resonates with my own training and approach to filmmaking. Like him, I love working with non-actors. I admire the risks he took, trusting lived experience over performance.

Mami Wata (2023)

Directed by C.J. “Fiery” Obasi | Feature | Nigeria

When the harmony in a village is threatened by outside elements, two sisters must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land.

Rooted in West African folklore, Mami Wata is a stunning visual and spiritual experience. From the very first frame, you feel guided by a filmmaker with a clear and confident vision. The film uses folklore and fantasy to tell a story rooted in autonomy, community, and belief. It is a visual masterpiece that feels both ancient and immediate.

Naked Acts (1996)

Directed by Bridgett M. Davis | Feature | United States

Aspiring actress Cicely has lost 57 pounds and landed her first movie role. The director didn't tell her about a nude scene. Reluctant to do it, she embarks on a personal journey that unveils secrets once hidden under her excessive weight.

I am grateful this film is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. Davis’ only feature to date, features Cicely, a dark-skinned Black woman whose interior life unfolds with honesty and care. The film honestly explores how the world asks Black women to contort ourselves — through how we dress, style our hair, and navigate intimacy and love. There is something deeply grounding about work that feels true to life. Davis handles themes of reclamation, body, identity, and purpose with such transparency and care.

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (2023)

Directed by Kahlil Joseph | Feature | United States

Adapted from Kahlil Joseph's renowned video art installation, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album, weaving fiction and history in an immersive journey where the fictionalized figures of W. E. B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey join artists, musicians, Joseph's family, and even Twitter chats, in a vision for black consciousness.

I’m always searching for contemporary Black stories that inspire, challenge, and move me, and BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions does exactly that. I’ve long admired Kahlil’s work and his use of non-linear storytelling to capture the many textures of Black life. Through personal narrative, cultural memory, viral moments, humor, pain, and celebration, the film builds a living archive of our existence. It holds joy, struggle, spirituality, liberation, and love all at once. It feels expansive, boundless, and deeply human.

These films remind me why storytelling matters. They hold our contradictions. They honor our complexity. They dare to show the things we’re sometimes afraid to say aloud.

And in doing so, they make space for all of us to see ourselves more clearly.