ADJANI SALMON ON DREAMING WHILST BLACK

The critically acclaimed series, Dreaming Whilst Black, returned to our screens October with Kwabena facing new challenges in his life and budding career as a director. Actor, writer and creator Adjani Salmon joins us to share his hopes for Dreaming Whilst Black season 2, the parallels between his life and Kwabena’s and the journey so far.

From a web series to a TV show now available on BBC and Disney, Adjani shares that journey has been ‘extraordinary’.

 It’s one that we dreamed of but not necessarily knew if it would become a reality. Because, you know, there’s a million reasons why it might not work. there are great filmmakers before me who it didn’t work for. So, it's just humbling, super grateful.

Credit: BBC/Big Deal Films/A24/Chadley Larnelle

What do you think has stuck with viewers to make this show something that resonates with them?

 I think it's just the heart. I think what people say is the truth, how much it mirrors real life in so many ways, so I think that's what people commit to. 

Dreaming Whilst Black follows Kwabena’s journey to becoming a director and the life that continues to happen along the way. From the seemingly dead-end jobs to the side hustles needed to pay the bills, Kwabena’s story echoes the experiences of many trying to succeed within creative industries.

How has Kwabena’s journey to becoming a director and maybe your journey into the industry been mirrored?  

I don't think it's mirroring, actually. I think I've struggled much more than Kwabena [laughs[. You know, story purposes, story progression, we have to move him on more quickly. I'm still interviewing for my first directing gig in TV so in that front Kwabena is doing better than me!

In all its comedy and light-heartedness, Dreaming Whilst Black still remains poignant in reflecting real life and many shared experiences. With themes of love, relationships and family, pregnancy and womanhood, Adjani notes that Kwabena’s world is larger than just becoming a filmmaker.

We have a running joke that Dreaming Whilst Black is a documentary. For us the show is not just about a black man trying to break into the film industry. It's about a black man trying to fulfil his dreams, and it just so happens that his dream is that his is to be a filmmaker. So we watch that play out. The show is about, what does it take to chase your dream? What sacrifices do you make to chase your dream, regardless of what that dream is? So that includes finance, obviously. That includes your interpersonal relationships with family, friends, loved ones, you know? And I think that's why people appreciate it, because we focus on everyday life rather than like film.

The appreciation for the journey is clear. In taking my time to watch the show, Adjani tells me that I don’t yet know how crazy the season is and the themes that may emergy.

If you get something, you get something. If you don't, you don't but what I will say is we explore black tax. We explore what it's like trying to get your child into private education. We explore what it's like to rekindle flame and the glass cliff. And I'm sure you're probably aware of the glass ceiling but the glass cliff is what happens afterwards.

Credit: BBC/Big Deal Films/Gary Moyes

From the first episode, we see Kwabena’s professional relationship playing out with Tinashe, and the competition it takes to enter certain rooms. Adjani shares that this fortunately hasn’t been his experience.

I think that in my actual experience … is that Black people are quite helpful, actually, towards each other and always knowledgeable. However, obviously we write a comedy, and every comedy character needs flaws. So this season, we just decided to propose some of Kwabena’s flaws, about how, when you become so like relentless in chasing your dream, how that can also turn someone.

We turn to the production of the show and how this has grown from season to season.

We know what we're doing now! I think season one, everybody was green. It was the first time everyone was making a show. So we were very much figuring and figuring out on the go. Whereas this season, we came in with all of that experience, with all of that knowledge and learning. So, everybody came in, ready to execute, you know, just kind of riding off the back of the success of season one. Yeah, it was fun. I mean, I got, I got sick throughout it, but it was still fun, but I wasn't sick!

Where there any moments that stuck out to you, either scenes that were really meaningful or important to you, or just the camaraderie between the cast, directors, producers?

Well, it's always great when the family are involved, which is like grandparents, Mum, Uncle, Aunty and everyone, because the blend of the generations brings us such warmth and energy to the set. They are just such great actors and their improv is incredible so it’s just always fun when they’re on set.

Kwabena’s family clearly want what is best for him and as supportive as they are, they still want to know where the next check will be coming from.

The family's position always comes from wanting their children to be safe. They want their children to be self reliant. So it's understandable why there’s a reluctance because they’ve never this it but my mother has been supportive throughout. I've been fortunate.

Credit: BBC Pictures

In building Kwabena’s character, Adjani shares that he has pulled on some of his experience as well as those of the writing team to create Kwabena. 

Black tax is something that I’m aware of. In terms of what nursery or what school do you take your child to id something that I go through. Being the elder sibling is not my experience. But I have cousins and friends, who are, you know. It's a writing team: we have a solid squad of writers who bring everything into the room and bring all their experiences. So even when something isn't necessarily my experience, it's someone's experience, and we back that up with research. You know, where we heavily research all our ideas. You know, that's one of the benefits of having a24 is that we have we have the resources to back it up.

On continuing to create art that is meaningful and valuable to himself? Adjani shares that living his day-to-day life allows him to be able to write about life.

It’s about [being] open, just being aware of my life experiences and living in order to know and to write about life. I try to have my normal experiences with friends, with family, all of that good stuff. So, I can draw so I can have something to pull from, reading, listening to music, art.

And his dreams for Dreaming Whilst Black?  

Hopefully we get a season three that would be amazing. I feel like at some point, Kwabena needs to get Jamaica road made, so we will probably [go] in that direction.

Dreaming Whilst Black Season 1 and 2 is available on BBC and Disney.