WATCH: “JUNGLE” Tells the Story of Vengeance and Black Power

In a land of liberty and justice for some, we see the next generation of the young, black and gifted lifting their voices like never before demanding peace from a system that’s failed them. Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Tony Mcdade, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery. While for some 2020 may be about counting the weeks until the Covid-19 quarantine is over, for a lot of black people, 2020 is about carrying these names and many others with us every day, counting down the days until we see justice. 

Enter Christian Cody: the Atlanta-based photographer and director channeling topics of racism, police brutality, and systemic oppression into a radical new film, shot just a few weeks ago. A story of revenge set in the year 2030, “JUNGLE” is here to incite a greater conversation about the power dynamics between our community and those places in charge to protect us, including public authorities. With a plot that echoes the anger and disappointments of the Black Lives Matter Movement, this film follows four black leads as they together carry out a retaliatory kidnapping to terrorize a cop responsible for murdering a young black girl.  

Both provocative and powerful, “JUNGLE” represents the strength, tenacity, and community that lies within one of the most influential groups alive. We caught up with Christian to talk through his process of creating this film in Atlanta shortly after the murder of Rayshard Brooks.

This film was shot pretty recently, what made you decide now was the time for “JUNGLE”?

I’d say the catalyst for deciding to hop on this project was my initial response to the climate of police brutality, racism,  and systematic oppressions that we as a country were boiling up about in the recent weeks. The marches, the viral videos, the riots, our government all served as inspirations for a parallel universe that was seeping into my conscience. I wanted to dive into my feelings on this subject, and I wanted to create my own form of a riot as a result. I felt that it was all really time sensitive and I wanted to respond to the BLM immediately. 

What were some of the inspirations for this film?

Since the day that I declared that I wanted to change the narrative of black lives in media and fashion, black women have served as a major inspiration behind my visions. For “JUNGLE”,  I was inspired by the strength, tenacity and courage of black women that a lot of times goes unrecognized or, in fact, abused by society. I wanted to give them a way to be seen and heard, something they could identify with. I was also inspired by our current events playing out in the media. I took from the countless stories of unjust killings by police on black people and combined names of actual victims or family that were too affected for the characters. 

What is the plot of “JUNGLE”?

“JUNGLE” follows the initiation of a mission arranged and carried out by a charismatic group of black women, sewn together by the pursuit of justice in a world where they felt erased. Together, they kidnap a cop named Jake Campbell who killed a girl they knew from their neighborhood and interrogate him about the murder he committed before leaving him to fend for himself in a lawless hood, the Jungle. It’s a place where outsiders and even cops dare not enter. 

Why the choice to have 4 black women play the lead in this?

I wanted to have these 4 women personify and highlight many characteristics found in the black women of our communities. They are mothers, they are activists, they are divas, they are intellects. I wanted to show the range of beauty in their existences. I thought 4 was a great number for a militia and felt like a full group. I wanted to show them with the possession of poise, power, and aggression but I also wanted to show them win bc far too often we witness black women be compromised and taken advantage of. I loved that they also represented different  features, skin tones, shapes and attitudes of the diaspora. 

This is a pretty grim topic — what drove the decision to have such a radical story told?

I felt that the radical time we’re living in called for a radical response, especially to police brutality and the violence displayed in white men. I didn’t want to shy away from telling a story that highlights so much of what black Americans have faced in the last 10 years with these recordings — also our survival in America for the last 400 odd years. I felt like through this craft, I owed it to the people who we know and don’t know who have lost their lives in this way. I wanted to tell their story but with a twist. I wanted to give them permission in this world to carry out the desire to express anger and revenge without consequence. 

“I felt that the radical time we’re living in called for a radical response.”

Tell me more about the plot. Why do you think a story of vengeance is important right now?

I think that right now, in relation to police violence, people are demanding justice and people taking vengeance into their own hands. I think as of late the aspect of vengeance has been displayed in riots, burning down buildings, tearing down monuments, and other actions. I think that vengeance is a natural tone of response to this situation where power feels stripped or that people have died for no reason. They want answers. The paint and  anger is often felt by everyone but only a few take vengeance into their hands. It wasn’t a motive to  incite violence with this film  but I did want to show what happens when someone loses their will to be law abiding, when they’ve reached a breaking point in the systems they’re a part of. I wanted to show 4 women lose their cool in a calm and collected manner. Their motive isn’t to kill either even though they could and no one would ever know. They have that power but instead they want to express and allow him to as well. They want the opportunity to have an open dialogue with someone who took someone from them. I think that even with the families who lost loved ones to police brutality, the last thing they want is to go out and kill someone from the cops family.  Their form of vengeance Is simply seeking justice and watching those responsible be held accountable by the law. 

There’s a lot being said about freedom and justice in this. How do you define justice in 2020?

Justice in 2020 for me looks like proper accountability. I know far too well how the systems within our government and communities shape a narrative around the unjust actions of those who hold power. It favors them with biases rooted in racism. Justice in 2020 looks like real undoubted equality.

Take me through the process of casting and production. How did you choose your collaborators?

I knew when developing this concept that it was incumbent that I was surrounded by a community of like minds to pull it off, especially with the time limit to do so. I knew the people that would be perfect for this and the fact that they all collectively had their own networks and businesses motivated me to reach out and work together. The team was composed of JUSU SLAPS, A WARDROBE COMPANY, TOYBOX CREATIVE, and S2S PRODUCTIONS, all independent companies ran by creative friends of mine. I, myself, have just launched a production company called CURRENT PRODUCTIONS and I wanted this to be the first collaboration under that house. I really value the force of black-owned businesses and I felt a lot of solidarity including the ones that I did. They were awesome, from the wardrobe and casting, down to screenwriting. The casting was a major part of the creative process. We knew from the start that we wanted the film to take on fashion and attitude as leading inspirations so we worked hard to make the fit perfect with the girls. We wanted to keep an open dialogue about how each character could best be personified. It was a rewarding process. We loved the fact that we touched on a range of beauty, shapes, and colors.

Tell me more about the inspiration behind the styling and the process of creating each characters’ look. 

Since picking up the camera as a photographer, fashion has been a major influence in my work and as a director I wanted to tap into it on screen as well. The original idea actually started as a fashion film that grew into a thrilling short with heavier dialogue. We kept fashion as a mainframe and embellished the idea with beautiful sensory visuals and convo to help tell the stories. In the film, which is set in the year 2030, the girls have a tactical look that they complete the mission in before changing into their own clothes that highlight their personal style. The costuming done by Abs Petit helped flush out the vibe of each of the characters including Jake and the lawless boys. The lawless scene with the guys was vital to the ending and I loved how their style was based on this interpretation of a dystopian village of men bound by now laws or rules. 

What do you want viewers to take away from “JUNGLE”?

I’d love for people to walk away from this film with a sense of empowerment from witnessing underdogs of society take matters into their own hands. 

What has the atmosphere been like in Atlanta after the killings of Rayshard Brooks and Ahmaud Barber?

The crazy part of all of this was that during our filming on the second night, the riots and protests for Rayshard Brooks was taking place really close to the lot we were using. The atmosphere was so unnerving due to the sounds of police cars flying by us to race to the bridge where protestors began walking out onto the freeway. The Wendy’s where he had been killed was set ablaze not more than 5 miles from our location so helicopters hovered in the area, passing over us every minute. This all made us discuss the reasons why the work we were doing was so important how relevant it was. It also served as real-life inspiration on the spot and the actors and creatives really responded to the thickness of the mood in their performances. At that moment everything around us reinforced why we were making this film and why it had to be done. 

What does police reform look like to you?

To me, true police reform looks like a very comprehensive evaluation of those who pledge to become police officers. I really feel that the system and culture have to be dismantled and built again so it does not reflect the purpose of why policing was started in the first place, which was to catch runaway slaves. It’s saddening how not much has changed in the attitudes of those sworn in to protect the citizens of America, and even when they do the good actions are overshadowed by the viral stories we’ve reading, seeing, and marching about for the last decade. I think more time is needed in training and way more accountability and consequence for when a police officer chooses to willingly break the law. The abuse of power has gone way too far and for too long. We’re tired. 

How do you find happiness in such a trying time?

I find happiness by creating during this time. My thoughts and feelings find their way out of me through the arts and I love that it can serve as a way for me to tap out of the world, while in some ways creating a world that I’d like to see and be apart of. I find happiness in productivity big or small but healthy nonetheless. 

Watch the full “JUNGLE” film below.

JUNGLE from Something to Say Productions on Vimeo.

DIRECTED BY Christian Cody 
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY LANDON KOVALICK
PRODUCER KEVIN WALL 
WRITER ABIGAIL P
CREATIVE DIRECTION JUSU SLAPS 
COSTUME DESIGNER ABIGAIL P 
SOUND DESIGN MATT J MEADE
WARDROBE A WARDROBE COMPANY 
PRODUCTION DESIGNER TIARA MA’REI
ORIGINAL SCORE OMAR FERRER 
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOGAN GUNZENHAUSER
BTS ALEX CHA
KEY GRIP/GAFFER KEITH CUTLER 
FIRST AC NASTASIA HUMPHRIES 
BEST BOY GRIP PARIS CROFT 
BEST BOY ELECTRIC ANDREW WARREN 
POSTER NATE SHULS 
CORNER STORE
JAH DISCIPLES CONVENIENCE DELI
MAKEUP 
MAKAYLA WEBB
TATIANNA KAZANA 
JAH QUINONES
MARK  SMITH 
HAIR 
CHARISSE CURET  
CAST 
MAYA – ISIS VALENTINO 
JP – KATELAND CHELSEA TOKLEY 
ROXY – NONI CYNGOR 
MOON – DOSHA DENG 
JAKE CAMPBELL – TRACE TAYLOR
TATIANNA WASHINTON – JANIYAH  GRIER 
LAWLESS 1 EVK 
LAWLESS 2 WILLIAM MOLETTE IV 
LAWLESS 3 GOMER ISRAEL-YOUNG
LAWLESS 4 SHAUGN Michael Duty
LAWLESS 5 ANTOINE MANNING
LAWLESS 6 CHRISTOPHER  DANIEL 
LAWLESS 7 Jaylen Adams 
LAWLESS 8 BRANDON  DOUGLAS 
LAWLESS 9 WESSON  DESSIR
LAWLESS 10 JAGONTE SPEARS 
LAWLESS 11 DAMONYAH GAVIN 
LAWLESS 12 OMERO ROLLE