We were lucky to catch up with Yanatha Desouvre recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yanatha, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

It was on the last day of shooting our short film, The Sweetest Girl. It was in the 2020 peak of the Covid 19 pandemic. Up to that point, all of our cast and crew attended rehearsal virtual table readings, took covid tests and we were ready to go shoot the film and officially wrap up. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, we had a safe and very fun set. However, something unexpected one of our cast members did not show up, even though we kept in communication with that individual and they even took a covid and brought their clothes to set. That actor was to play a younger version of another character. Thank goodness we had such a great set because the actor who played the older version of a character was on set that day and we had to make him look younger and it worked.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been fortunate to be a serial entrepreneur and also serve as full – time faculty of entrepreneurship at one of the most diverse colleges in the country Miami Dade College.

My wife and I own R.D.J.A DES LLC. RDJA DES is a boutique media firm that works in the area of P (People) R (Relationships) and film. Our PR firm serves entrepreneurship in all sectors from marginalized communities who have compelling and inspiring stories behind their businesses. On the film production side, we write, produce and direct films that also highlight inspiring stories from marginalized communities.

The biggest problem we’ve solved for our clients was bringing attention to the amazing work they are doing in their communities. We are accepting clients, if you have a story to tell about a product or service you’ve produced that is having or you are hoping will have a positive impact in your community and beyond, let’s have a conversation.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

We shot the multi-award-winning film, The Sweetest Girl during the 2020 peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was an unforgettable journey. The best part is I got to do it with childhood friends of over 30 years, Harry Jeudy (Executive Producer, Co-Screenwriter) and Samuel Ladouceur (Director). Our three-decade brotherhood is reminiscent of another set of trios, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, and Samuel L Jackson, or Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro

Our next film project, Flatbush, inspired by true events explores the resilience of the Haitian American community who fought against xenophobia and won. Black List https://blcklst.com/ (a trusted site featuring Hollywood screenwriting insiders) as Thematically, “FLATBUSH” grapples with subjects like alienation, loyalty, and respect — this is a gangster flick (PAID IN FULL and GOODFELLAS) with a sociopolitical edge, commenting on how Haitian-Americans were further marginalized from other immigrant and ethnic groups. Overall, the premise behind “FLATBUSH” shows noteworthy potential; as a mid-budget, adult-oriented drama, the project might make sense as a streaming platform acquisition, since entities like Netflix.

How did you build your audience on social media?

We build our audience by genuinely staying in contact with people. We had zoom calls. texted regular phone calls. Tapped our network of friends of over 30 plus year and their networks. We had live IG interviews and pitched news stories in the New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami media markets.

The best advice for those just starting to build a social media presence is to put in engaging contact which your audience can resonate with. Once the audience connects with the content you create you know can forge a genuine relationship. That is really it. We all yearn to connect with one another more than we realize.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yanatha.com
• Instagram: goodmanchronicles
• Facebook: aspiretoinspirenow
• Linkedin: in/yanatha
• Twitter: yanatha
• Youtube: yanatha
• Other: RDJA DES LLC media company www.rdjades.com

Image Credits
All images are credited to C.W. Griffin. The image of me in the middle consists of Harry Jeudy (Left) Yanatha Desouvre (middle) Samuel Ladouceur (right)