'ESSENCE Black Girl Magic' Episode 2: Director Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich Takes Us Behind the Camera

[SOUND] My name is Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich. And I grow up in a community of photographer, musician and writers. I most interested in film and media that Toes the line between documentary and fiction. I think that documentaries should be cinematic, and I think that fiction films should have something true in them. Aesthetically I like to play with this idea that in films there's always illusions and there's always truth. As story tellers It's our job to go out and find stories that aren't being told. The voices that aren't amplified, and shine the light on those corners of the world. Amara is a young African American Muslim teenage girl. Her family is very observant. But one thing that's really beautiful is that Amara and her brother and sister are encouraged to pursue all kinds of really awesome extra curricular, be active. Amara's an athlete she's really into martial arts which I think is So cool. And I think that her clarity at articulating her experiences and her drive is really exceptional for a young woman, and it's useful for us to hear how one can be both so energized and sure of who you are, and also have moments of insecurity. And that's okay that you can have all those things at once. Growing up, there weren't a lot of black women on TV or in movies in empowered position. To me this series is a really exciting opportunity to give a generation of girls some of those stories and images. We might be talking about one specific girl in one specific story, but Hopefully many young women can see themselves and feel encourage and feel less alone and feel inspired. [MUSIC]