In LA, after a slight kerfuffle, Moonlight won Best Picture in a glorious, gratifying moment. A film about the specific experience of one black gay person in Miami, its victory feels like a much-needed validation for hitherto neglected narratives. The only hope now is that this isn’t a one-off, and diverse stories such as these are here to stay.
There has been much discussion of the film’s Asian influences; from the triptych structure of Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Three Times to the dreamy cinematography of Won Kar Wai. But in its radically sensuous depiction of black bodies, inspiration can be found closer to home. It was when photographer Joshua Kissi Kissi messaged director Barry Jenkins to thank him for his excellent film that he receiving a surprising response.
As Jenkins wrote back: “when I hired my makeup person, I explained to her that I didn’t want to do what’s typically done, apply powered to reduce the sheen of our actors’ skin. Instead, I wanted to visually represent black skin as I knew and remembered it, supple and moist and reflecting, capable of contained and amplifying light, always alive and replenishing. No lie, as a reference, I sent her the photo editorial you did around the US Open.”
One half of the creative agency Street Etiquette, Kissi’s photography primarily features models of colour. Spanning brand lookbooks, travel photography and street style, the duo has, in their own words: “managed to assemble a truly unique view of fashionable menswear and story-telling.” Take a look at the Moonlight-inspiring US Open editorial below:
Courtesy of Street Etiquette
Courtesy of Street Etiquette
Courtesy Of Street Etiquette
Courtesy Of Street Etiquette