Using art to fight through a generational curse.
Director Dontell Antonio/Instagram
It’s not every day a recording artist partners with a film director to produce a film that raises awareness to drug abuse and sex trafficking in the black community. Although the music industry is notorious for exploiting these same issues in the name of record sales ( ahem, R. Kelly), singer/songwriter Sy Ari Da Kid ( Universal Republic Records, Cash Money Records) and Producer Dontell Antonio combined their resources to create The Hopeless Journey, Composite Media Inc. It was a project that was a long time in the making, but it only took three days to shoot. From an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter to writing down his life story that would soon come full circle, The Hopeless Journey was created at the right time with the current climate of social impact taking place on social media. Dontell is the director and the writer of this film, while Sy Ari is the executive producer, who also lends his talent to the film’s music soundtrack and his voice to a small role in the film. Currently, the two artists are on tour with 6Lack in over 30 cities across the US. During each show, Sy Ari dedicates a portion of his stage time to promote the film. They also have social media marketing obligations as well. It is this type of social responsibility that comes from being woke enough to tell the black story. “The whole film is about fighting through your generational curse,” says Antonio. According to the UCLA Law Review, many sex trafficking cases go unrecorded in the US which subsequently dissuades policymakers from focusing on creating laws that would protect and shed light on why the sex trade industry effects and targets impoverished black women and girls the most. This is why artists who have an audience should use their power to make a lasting impact, because who else will tell our story truthfully?
The Hopeless Journey is about Chicago native Dontell Antonio’s harrowing upbringing living with a mother battling drug addiction and at the same time witnessing sex trafficking come right through his living room. “I wanted to shed light on real issues still affecting our communities,” Antonio says to me over the phone on his way to his next tour stop with Sy Ari. When he met Sy Ari over a decade ago as an artist, he quickly became his right hand man to direct all his music visuals. Sy Ari and Antonio raised over $250,000 in funds to make The Hopeless Journey a success. On the heels of their next screening of the film on October 28 in Los Angeles, here’s what the artists have to say about empowering black women, raising funds and educating the young people today.
Mel Writes: How did you two meet?
Dontell Antonio: We are brothers. We are ten years strong. I was a rapper when I met Sy at the studios. Then I transitioned into shooting all of his music videos.
Mel Writes: How long did it take you to make The Hopeless Journey?
Dontell Antonio: It took me about 5 years to organize. I started a Kickstarter campaign but it failed. After that, I was a little depressed. Then I watched Fences and I got a lot of inspiration from that film. That was this past April. It took me 3 days to film the movie.
Mel Writes: To what audience is this film directed to?
We are talking to the youth.
Mel Writes: How did you get involved, Sy Ari?
Sy Ari Da Kid: I said [to Antonio] I’ll go half with him. I knew this film project was important to him. He played me some of the music and I wanted to contribute. It has to be right and not rushed. I wanted the music of the film to sound synthesize. I wanted to all work together because the storyline is heavy.
Mel Writes: How has your audience on tour been responding to the film?
Sy Ari Da Kid: It’s been nothing but love and support. Everyone’s there to support someone. So they are even more in tune to what I’m saying about the film on stage.
Mel Writes: Dontell, how did your mom react to seeing this film for the first time?
Dontell Antonio: My mom loved it. She cried but ultimately loved that her story could inspire others. I rented out a movie theater in Minnesota so she can watch it.
Mel Writes: As a young boy, when did you know that things going on in your house weren’t right?
Dontell Antonio: I was seeing a lot of white men come in and out of our house that wasn't even supposed to be in my neighborhood. That’s why I used a lot of white men in the film to portray some of the routes of sex trafficking in the black community.
Mel Writes: How is your mom doing now?
Dontell Antonio: My mother has been clean for 11 years now. She changed her life around when she got pregnant with my little sister.
Mel Writes: That’s beautiful. Motherhood definitely can change you and this is why Black women are so strong. What can you say to families who are dealing with this as well?
Dontell Antonio: Support them and not beat them down with it. My mom changed her life on her own. She’s on track and she went back to college. She even has a degree in Massage Therapy. The whole film is about fighting through your generational curse. Me doing this film was a big step for myself.
Mel Writes: What do you think about the current state of drugs and sex trafficking around the country?
Dontell Antonio: It got worse. It’s [ sex trafficking] okay to do it now. Social media makes sex trafficking more accessible. We have to re-empower our black women. We have to give them their power again and tell them and make them believe that they are queens.