Barry Jenkins‘ follow-up to his 2016 Best Picture-winning film, “Moonlight,” came out of the festival circuit with tremendous praise. “If Beale Street Could Talk” takes on the words of writer James Baldwin, giving breath to his phrases and filling the screen with images of the monumental novel. Much like “Moonlight,” ‘Beale Street”s praise comes in part from Jenkins’ tender love of Baldwin’s story. Matching a stunning score with yet more beautiful camerawork, Jenkins arrived with “Moonlight” and has supplanted himself in the film community since.
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But prior to his Oscar-winning turn, when it seemed Jenkins just burst onto the scene, the filmmaker was quietly waiting. Bringing forth enduring stories for audiences to bear witness to, a video essay from Fandor highlights the work of Jenkins before “Moonlight.” Prior to “Moonlight,” Jenkins directed “Medicine For Melancholy,” examining the life of a young couple in San Francisco. It is an intimate depiction, where you can tell that Jenkins not only loves the story he is telling, but the way he is telling it: through film.
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Following “Melancholy,” Jenkins worked with other filmmakers within the company Strike Anywhere, encouraging exploration and creation through film whether it be feature-length, short form, or commercial. As the video essay shows, Jenkins’ fingerprints are all over the work. His love is there, if imbued through those he is working with and encouraging.
Beyond Strike Anywhere is his work with short film. The video essay, here, highlights two in particular. “A Young Couple” and “Tall Enough” capture intimate moments between romantic partners. But that is truly Jenkins’ knack–capturing the intimacy and asking us to look closer. Hoping to glean something more, audiences will soon see ‘Beale Street’ on the big screen as the film begins to expand in the coming days. And yet again, we will bear witness to the intimate world Barry Jenkins so effortlessly wraps us in.