Valentine Toya LeGrand

About the Short Film

Synopsis: An uncle gets feedback and inspiration for his comic book project from his nieces. He weaves aspects of them into the little-known story about Valentine Toya LeGrand, a Haitian Amazon Warrior who helped end the race and culture wars of 2030 and is a symbol of empowerment for girls and women. The comic book serves as a jumping off point for an artful exploration of mental health and empowerment.

The short film is experimental, blending historical fiction and Afrofuturism. Read on for a synopsis of the feature film.

Trailer

Areas of Focus

Artist Statement

This short film comes from a longer feature film that I am working towards producing soon. In these two works I present an alternative reality of Haiti and try to extend the types of stories that are often told when Haiti is the focus. This project is also a celebration of women heroes/warriors and in this case, Haitian Amazons. My goal is to add a different cultural context so that a variety of black and brown girls may see themselves in this storyline too. It is also for girls in general (and women, like me) who loved the Wonder Woman comics, shows and movies, who loved what we saw in the Black Panther movies and Woman King and want to see even more diverse and dynamic images of women in mainstream film and media.

– Wilna Julmiste Taylor, UCLA Art & Global Health Center Interim Director

Recognition

At the International Black & Diversity Film Festival in Toronto, Valentine was nominated in the following categories for short films: Best Experimental and Best Animation. It was the winner of the award for Best Film Visual Effects.

Feature Film

Synopsis: It’s 2080. The United States seems to have finally established a racist-free utopian-like world. But this reality is in danger of being short-lived. There is a visible societal shift causing many citizens to fear the possibility of things going back to how they were in the US during the 2030 race war. Three kids encounter firsthand the signs of the times after witnessing a traumatic event. The kids in turn report what they experienced to a trusted family member, and in the process, they learn about what really happened during the 2030 race war. They gain insight on how an Amazonian hero named Valentine Toya LeGrand (a direct descendant of Abaraya Toya, who was a Dahomey soldier, and Jean Jacques Dessaline’s godmother) helped end the war to reshape the US and Haiti’s history.

Check out this guide with information on the historical events that influence this work.