This month we had a chat with musician and artist anaiis about her August Friday Late commission – a film titled spirit moves, directed by CHILD Studio.
Exploring the ancestral, traditional, cultural and spiritual ties that anaiis believes exist beyond the boundaries of the material dimensions, the piece visualises the transient spirits that have come before us, watch over us, guide us, and protect us.
The characters reference spiritual elements of Senegalese and Afro-Brazilian traditions, commemorating their interconnectivity within the Black diaspora, whilst tracing back anaiis’ travelled upbringing and inspirations. United through movement and ritual, anaiis’ guides are summoned into a meditative ceremony as an ode to the mystical powers that lead her path.
In our interview, anaiis speaks about how she created the original score by reimagining elements of her upcoming debut album ‘this is no longer a dream’, and tells us about the striking poem featured from Julianknxx. She also gives us an insight into where the idea for the film came from, what the characters represent, how the narrative unfolds, the significance of the styling, her creative process, and how the setting of the V&A influenced the development of the film itself.
Listen to the full interview here:
We’ll be back with more Friday Late programming soon. Join our mailing list or keep an eye on the Friday Late webpage and the V&A’s social channels to hear about the next commission!