Dirty Laundry is a short film by black, South African womxn* photographer and filmmaker Jabu Nadia Newman who’s based in Cape Town.
She’s interested in pushing an intersectional feminist agenda through art and fashion. She and art director Grace de Kroon explain what the film is about and more.
Love the space-agey, kimono-wearing looks: who styled this?
Jabu: Grace de Kroon styled and art directed the video – it was really a collaboration between myself and her. We work together a lot because we can collaborate on visual style as well as the messages that we want to put behind our work.
Grace de Kroon: Dirty Laundry is a story Jabu and I co-produced where I styled, art directed and set designed, she filmed, photographed, directed and wrote the script. I conceptualised and drew from movies like Quentin Tarrantino’s Pulp Fiction with a strong influence of 70s fashion.
I wanted the leading ladies to look powerful and dangerous.
We’ve seen plenty of strong white female characters like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction but it’s been way overdue to see a strong black female presence on screen. I wanted the leading ladies to look powerful and dangerous whilst still looking alluring and feminine. Using clothing from my second-hand apparel line Junk and Disorderly I was able to create this time capsule type look.
If you could shoot any womxn in the world, who’d it be?
Jabu: If I could shoot any womxn in the world I would love to shoot Tony Gum, Adwoa Aboah, Gabby Sidibe and Esther Mahlangu.
Name a feminist icon who inspires you.
Jabu: There are so many feminist icons who inspire me but I am particularly inspired by my South African contemporaries such as Tony Gum, Dope Saint Jude and Manthe Ribane who radiate feminism in interesting visual and audio interpretations/representations.
What are you up to next?
Jabu: My next big venture is The Foxy Five, following the friendship and lives of five different womxn who try to navigate through the world learning more about their beliefs and others.
Follow The Foxy Five on Instagram: @thefoxyfivetv