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Torri Oats
Black Film and Television are certainly having a moment right now – but it doesn’t just feel like the latest trend. It feels like the earth was shaken to finally shed light on stories the world really needed to hear and was missing out on. It’s a welcome resurgence that many have long waited for, bolstered by tireless activism and bold protests in artistic form. It’s an explosion that has electrified the world and put Hollywood on its toes and it’s inspiring to watch. Within this, black femininity has taken centre stage, with black women fighting to have their own stories told beyond Hollywood stereotypes.
Black female filmmakers and television writers have taken the pen into their own hands and the depth and realness of their characters shows. Writer and Filmmaker Torri Oats has stepped into the ring to lend herself to the cause – giving a voice to the voiceless. No Lies Told Then, is an upcoming film that directly tackles the subject of black womanhood and mixes it in with dreams, ambition, painful memories and complicated love, by tracing how someone becomes who they become. It’s a journey Torri’s script powerfully captures. Here, we get more details about the film and what Torri envisions for it as she prepares for its release in 2016.
Violet Kadzura: Tell us a bit about No Lies Told Then and its main character Sandra.
Torri Oats: Broadly, No Lies Told Then is the story of our collective journey told through the eyes of one. It’s that moment when we look at ourselves and wonder, “How did I get here?” Most importantly, it’s how we choose to proceed from that realisation on; will we continue on the path that may not be right, or will we leap and choose that path that will fulfil us in every way? Specifically, it’s the story of a successful author on deadline, fighting to salvage her career, forced to confront feelings for a past lover. At a crossroad, she has to let go of the bitter pain that’s threatening to destroy her or watch as her greatest dream slips through her fingers.