Anatomy of Wings: A Conversation of Authentic Connection, Feb. 4
January 18, 2019
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
Join Nikiea Redmond, B.S. '11, filmmaker Kirsten D'Andrea Hollander, and the UB community to discuss the powerful tool of mentorship for authentically connecting with youth, adults, neighbors, friends, family and more, on Monday, Feb. 4 starting at 4 p.m. in the University of Baltimore's Town Hall in the H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons, 1415 Maryland Ave. Attendees will have the opportunity to watch footage from Redmond and Hollander's upcoming documentary, Anatomy of Wings: A Conversation of Authentic Connection, which features an unlikely group of college students and mentors who gathered week after week, year after year, for the sole purpose of seeing and hearing 10 teenage girls amid the blighted and privileged circumstances of Baltimore.
Learn more about this event.
Following is a Q&A with Nikiea Redmond:
How did you first get involved with the Wings project?
I became involved with Wings in 2007. One of my supervisors started a program for girls called Finding Your Wings through Dunbar Middle School. I’d already been working with youth in East Baltimore, so she asked me to volunteer at an all girls one day retreat. That's where I met Kirsten, who happened to be a filmmaker and was videoing our experience. Kirsten ended up volunteering to continue the Wings program and cultivated the space you’ll see now in our film.
What did your path look like, from graduation at UB to the Wings project?
As a mentor in Wings in 2008, my role was primarily to support the girls. I attended classes at UB and would run up the street to MICA where our Wings sessions took place every Thursday. After graduating in 2011, I juggled a few things while continuing as a mentor in the Wings program.
In 2012/13 our Wings girls graduated and the program went from meeting every Thursday to having potlucks in order to stay in touch. All of the mentors, mentees and film crew still kept in touch with the same family-like atmosphere as the program.
How did that then transition into this documentary?
Throughout the after school program, our girls were determined to create small films in hopes of producing a documentary about our lives. This was always the plan. It's just on a larger scale than I originally imagined. The girls are my family now, my sisters. In the film you'll see us together encouraging each other as we make mistakes and achievements becoming women from Baltimore.
How long have you known Kirsten Hollander?
Kirsten and I met in 2007, so I've known her for almost 12 years.
What is your relationship with her like?
Kirsten and I make a great team! I am the voice for the community and she is a film professor. Now, she and I are working side-by-side as it relates to the film, but in 2008 I was working under her as a mentor. Personally, Kirsten is like a godmother/friend that I've been blessed to have in my life over the last 12 years. She, her son and husband are literally one of my "second" families that I know I can go to if I ever need a meal or a place to rest.
How about the young women featured in the documentary?
I consider them my little sisters. We're not too far in age and even though the girls are all adults, they still call me and the other mentors for a ride, a job reference or to give us daily life update. Wings is a family. We created a space where we can lean on one another in the most dire situations or when we just need a good hug and space to breathe.
Ideally, what will a film like this do for a city like Baltimore or the people who live here?
It’s important for Baltimore to be seen hugging, supporting, and embracing each other as-is. Our film is a powerful trajectory from the narrative of most documentary films about Baltimore and our youth in this city. Anatomy of Wings is different because actual Baltimore people, born and raised here are hands on in creating a film about their story in the editing room.
Our content is raw and straight from the hearts and voices of the ten girls in our film. The struggles of growing up in Baltimore through friends who were killed and education hurdles are all reflected in the combined story of our program. Through this authentic narrative our film will be a tool to encourage schools to create programs similar to Wings developing consistent spaces for youth to do the inner work of seeing and hearing each other's stories as a priority.
What are the next steps for the film? How can people get involved or help?
Our film is in its final stages of post production. Next steps are applying for film festivals, starting with Sundance in July, and a theatrical release in theaters by winter of 2020.
To become a supporter is easy. You can follow us on social media to stay updated on the progress of the film and activities surrounding the film. To complete our film, Anatomy of Wings is running a $25 capital campaign in hopes to reach 2,500 new supporters. Check out our website for more details on joining our email list and becoming a advocate.