Actor Greg "Klarity" Davis sits down with multi award winning entertainment journalist Tanisha LaVerne Grant to discuss his latest project " Joy and Jim" which premiered at this year's SXSW film festival.
Greg play Jimmy, a struggling young artist in Brooklyn, meets Joy, an aspiring model visiting New York for an audition. A day of unexpected romance uplifts them both in an ode to pursuing dreams and the undying magic of New York city.
FILMMAKER STATEMENTS
Greg ‘Klarity’ Davis Jr. - Actor, Creator, Executive Producer
I was getting burnt out on social media. It's funny, it gave me the audience I have and it gave me a voice
that enabled me to make a name and get out there in the world, so I have a lot of love and respect for how
it got me here, but I just knew it was time to commit to producing projects that could be any genre, any
format, any kind of story, vehicles to have total freedom of expression and the ability to show off any kind
of creativity, not be stuck in a little box (literal platform or content wise).
Rob and I just spoke more and more about how we could produce them ourselves, and it was
coincidentally around the same time I met Hash (Sesay, writer), who said "let me take a stab at it". I read
his stuff, and it was just really honest and good. Rob and I talked a lot about French 60s love movies
(obviously Jules et Jim), and the Russian film "Ivan's Childhood" - specifically, we knew we just wanted to
make something that by the end gave you a similar feeling as to that shot when the Russian soldier holds
the girl aloft over the trench and kisses her, that moment of uplift and beauty, if we could somehow
approximate that emotion and spirit by the end of "Joy", that's all we wanted to do.
In Joy & Jim, we just wanted a classic love story, that's it. Love Jones. Punch-Drunk Love. I wanted to see
a black love story, pure love, no arguing, no basketball. I'd never seen a Before Sunset with two black
characters, and wanted to see that. With a love story, you can blur the lines of color. Nobody playing
anything that's a stereotype or archetype, none of those cliched kinds of side characters black actors have
historically been relegated to. Let's change that. And working with Lex - she just happens to be one of my
best friends, and it was a chance to work with my homie, who just happens to be one of the dopest young
rising actresses around. She's the best there is out there. I knew if she agreed to do it, it wouldn't be acting.
It would just be me playing with my friend. And I really wanted it to be her so I could be comfortable. And
the more we thought about Joy, the more it was obvious it couldn't be anybody else. Joy was Lex, Lex was
Joy.
As far as working with Rob, we're partners. He gives me confidence. He makes me feel like Sidney or
Denzel, and removing any doubt as an actor is important. He always brings a nice slow paced nuancedapproached that keeps things unrushed so they can flourish and be comfortable. He catches beautiful
moments, bringing a documentary free-flowing spirit in the wind style that just makes me feel confident,
letting me go, and trusting his eyes that I'm doing well. I also love our ability to disagree but always agree.
Never any attitude either way, we talk things out like adults, and we come to an understanding. I love it and
wouldn't change it. There will be many more stories to tell together.
Posted By: Tanisha Grant
Friday, March 19th 2021 at 6:21PM
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