hkbfinn

[hkbfinn]

The more you work on film, the more films you make…🏵

FiNN

[hkbfinn]

“But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.”

- Paulo Coelho, 2002

[hkbfinn]

It’s a beautiful day.

Stay safe…🏵

[hkbfinn]

I used to have fantasies about us.

I used to imagine we had a deep platonic closeness & you hung on my words as I hung on yours.

I dreamed your husband & I would be friends. I fantasised how you & I would become artistic brother & sister.

I used to imagine we would go on photoshoots together, you taking pics of flowers & me looking to capture the bluest skies (whilst we debated deep issues that honed our creative outlook).

The reality however, was different from my fantasy. You were seeking escape from your self maintained banality & you wanted to learn what made me tick. I in turn saw our potential friendship as a chance to take a break from my genius for it fatigues me, incessantly.

Nowadays, we barely speak. I do get the occasional mixed message filled the shame of someone who now understands what she fumbled with me.

The truth is, nowadays I see your dedication to banality continues, I see how it defines your reality & I now see my fantasies never mattered.

You’re just a person I wanted to know until I realised who you really are.

I admit I am an asshole for saying this, but I am still a genius, still a truth teller & you’re still dedicated to the extremes of being boring.

Good luck with that…🏵

FiNN

[hkbfinn]

There is no agenda greater than self care so take your time. 

FiNN🏵

[hkbfinn]

Sandrine was born on Ngor Island off the coast of Dakar in Senegal.

The daughter of a local Imam, Sandrine moves to Paris to pursue her ambition to become a fashion designer.

Whilst in Paris, she meets a lovely Nigerian man, they fall in love & after a few months, Sandrine moves to London to be near to him. She later opens her own fashion retail outlet in Islington London.

Sandrine the fashion designer partners with Isabelle (a highly sought after seamstress) & both work to turn her store into a premier indie retail spot, celebrating African couture & bespoke clothings.

More recently, Sandrine is having second thoughts about being in London because her boyfriend is showing signs of weariness & true to her worst insecurities, Sandrine takes his behaviour very personally.

FiNN🏵

[hkbfinn]

Isabelle is first generation Senegalese but she was born in London.

Isabelle is a talented seamstress & runs a small shop with her business partner Sandrine.

Today she is having lunch with a friend & Isabelle is very excited about the meet up.

FiNN🏵

[hkbfinn]

I saw ‘Sinners’ today here in London.

What an epic.

I loved the story, the characters, the dialogue, the costumes, the action, the music, the subtexts, the love stories & the cinematography.

‘Sinners’ is a period drama with horror elements. It is also an epic story of love, purpose & defending our rights to live, be loved, dance & be free.

What a ride. Well done to the team that made this. I am still unpacking it emotionally.

This is a meaningful movie that is worth much more hype…🏵️

[hkbfinn]

Sometimes you learn & sometimes you win…🏵

FiNN

[hkbfinn]

Sometimes a piece of art sits in the perfect place where excellence & mystery co-exists.

This art can capture the imagination so profoundly that one is compelled to revisit it repeatedly with a mild obsession bordering on the manic.

Such a piece of art for me is the film ‘In the mood for love’ directed by Won Kar Wai.

Saying I love this work is an under statement…🏵️

[hkbfinn]

I am blessed.

Last year my trusted iMac died. My digital life was stunted for about 6 months with no computer, small money coming in, rising bills & sub standard project fees, I was stuck.

After around 6 months of worry, a producer on my current film project ‘gifted’ me a decent MacBook Pro so production of my next film could continue. Whew.

When I used the MacBook Pro to collate all the footage for my next film from various drives, I discovered I had 4.5TB of footage for my forthcoming movie project.

Yikes.

My previous movie (STASH) was done in HD & edited from 3 drives but I shot my new film in 4K (4K is 4xHD). So I now have much bigger files to manage, grade & export. I have a computer with robust ram & loads of operational headroom so editing will be easier from a single hard drive. I just need a bigger single drive. Hmmm. Once I realised the solution, my next hurdle was clear.

I then spend 3 months trying to get enough money to get a bigger drive but the usual issues of people not paying me on time or not enough, takes its toll. This morning however, another of my esteemed film producers bought me a 10TB hard drive to store & edit my footage from. I am so grateful, relieved & hopeful. I am very happy but I wonder why I am so unaccustomed to kindness? Why am I so stoic & stone faced after such amazing acts of love? I did say thanks but why can’t I just enjoy the moment? Hmmm.

Despite all of this internal wahala, it does remind me: I am NOT self made. I am community sponsored & driven to tell our stories any way I can with the tools I have.

God is Great.

FiNN🏵

ps. The above photo is an unedited still from my project. These are two of the characters from my film. Adebayo & Nina have an unusual relationship. Very unusual.

[hkbfinn]

I got to rest today. I started my day off by pottering around listening to 90’s Americana, cleaning my home & singing lyrically astounding songs in a loud voice. 

As the day progressed & chores were done, I end up sitting on my bed sipping my ‘Hibiscus Rose & Sweet Berries tea' listening to the solo piano bliss of Guillaume Poncelet ’88’ album and in the end: I am grateful…🏵

FiNN

[hkbfinn]

Thank you God…🏵

- HKB FiNN

[hkbfinn]

Sometimes, being an artist means me surpassing my greatest skillsets.

This week I directed a multi-camera shoot (with 2 BlackMagic 12k cameras & 2 BlackMagic 4k cameras) simultaneously capturing some music performances for an arts collective from The Gambia.

On another day I was sound recording engineer for the above quartet.

I also got to reshot a scene for my movie which has been holding up the editing process for ages.

This week I got to make high art which leaves me grateful.

Art is life…🏵

FiNN

[hkbfinn]

I am a Utopianist.

I practice, present & curate utopian ideals in my work.

I choose to see the world through the lens of idealism.

I practice faith, courage & enthusiasm as my core utopian values.

This because I pursue the ideal of faith in my people.

I nurture the courage to present what I want to see in my people.

I embrace my work with the enthusiasm needed to maintain the utopian perspective of my wonderful Black life.

My name is HKB FiNN & I am a Utopianist…🏵

[hkbfinn]

One afternoon in Milan, the shadows called out to me…🏵

FiNN

[hkbfinn]

People have their comforts. People have their chosen spaces where they feel safe.

People talk change, talk revolution, talk growth but people are averse to risk.

People remain the same because they practice being stuck daily.

People see you risking it all to change. People admire your energy & try to hijack you into working for them by working with them.

Alas, no matter how beguiling people can be, their own comforts will smother them & over time increase their inertia.

People are very interesting…🏵

- HKB FiNN