We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful V.c. Rhone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with V.c. below.
V.c., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I am so blessed to have a variety of projects in various stages of production that mean the world to me! A short film that I co-wrote and produced received The Indigenous Film & Culture Award and screened at The Windrider Summit & Sundance Film Festival Experience in Park City, Utah.
The film highlights the murdered and missing Indigenous women crisis which impacts many Indigenous families. Although I have moved onto other projects as they expand it to a feature, this is a profound topic that we should all be aware of and work to eradicate.
Many of the projects I take on to produce or that I write and direct highlight underrepresented groups, their stories and their brand of storytelling. As I transition into feature films, I can’t talk too much about some of the projects I’m doing but I’m super thrilled about a feature that I’m developing that deals with homelessness. We have recently attached an award-winning high profile actress and are moving the project forward.
I’m also currently developing PIECES OF ELEANOR.
I wrote the script based on my own experience of nearly losing my life after being misdiagnosed by multiple doctors with a serious medical condition. Once I recovered, I started reaching out to other women and found a common thread that most women don’t feel seen or heard by their doctors, especially as it relates to issues dealing with our reproductive system. Even more shocking was the number of BIPOC women (Black Indigenous People of Color) in comparison to other women who seemed to experience medical disparities at an alarming rate.
I put together a survey and hundreds of women responded with their individual experiences. Many women were having the same or similar experiences. It let me know that I was on to something and gave me the push to move the project forward.
V.c., love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a storyteller.
I absolutely LOVE telling stories and I believe it’s implanted in my DNA to as far back as the first African who was brought to the shores of America, then enslaved, to the introduction and inclusion of Indigenous culture into my bloodline. All Native and African peoples (and I use the word “peoples” here intentionally), are intrinsically and naturally storytellers.
We passed down oral histories and stories from generation to generation. This is why it’s also tragic and heartbreaking that for centuries, when our languages were literally beaten or legislated out of us, we struggled to keep our stories alive. In this regard, I feel it’s a great honor (and responsibility) to be able to continue those traditions using a different medium.
Mark Twain says the “two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I was about six or seven years old when I made this discovery. I’ve been singing, writing, directing and producing since as far back as I can remember. I didn’t have the language to understand what producing or directing meant, but when I look back, I think, “Oh, THAT’S what I was doing!”
Like so many in the entertainment industry, my introduction to the arts came through my involvement in church. I have been singing and directing choirs since I was eight years old and writing plays since I was nine. I even had to direct my own mother in the choir which was quite the story!
Throughout my career, my storytelling perspective often expands beyond genres and uses cinematic and performance art as an instrument to promote hope, human dignity, and healing. I know you also asked what I am most proud of, earlier. I’m not sure I’d say this is something I’m “most proud of” because pride can be a very dangerous thing. But I will say that it’s something I do my best to model in the projects I take on and in the scripts that I write.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I love this question. And it’s really more about what society can do for themselves, than it is about artists and creatives and that is, look inward. What society can do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem is to look inward. So many times I see the most vile, critical and judgmental posts and comments about artists and creatives on social media. While it’s true that being in the public eye comes with advantages and perks, these are the disadvantages that can so often hurt and destroy the soul of an artist.
If we just take a moment to pause and think about what we’re putting out there and most importantly how WE would want to be received or perceived in the world, then society could really change the tide of how we engage with artists and most importantly, how we engage with one another. This simple step of stopping and looking inward yields a much more positive and healthier creative ecosystem for all of us.
We all know someone or have a family member who stumbles along the way or makes questionable choices. Now how would we feel if that person had to do that publicly?
So again, let’s look inward. Let’s pause. Let’s be kind. Let’s do unto others as we would have others do unto us.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Helping others. Hands down. There’s no greater feeling than having someone send an email or reach out on social media and say, “Thank you!” We have no idea what people are going through in life. Sometimes a song, a piece of poetry, a story, a film, anything in the creative space can change someone’s life or help shift their perspective on something that seems daunting and overwhelming and hopeless. Giving hope to others in a world that can often feel hopeless through storytelling and the creative space is truly rewarding.
Contact Info:
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v.c. rhone