“I just knew there were stories I wanted to tell.” -Octavia Butler, American science-fiction author
“I hope that there are more media that represents queerness and specifically black queerness in a way that’s not traumatic.” -E, writer and director of The Harness
California, USA — A24 Films is proud to announce the release of The Harness directed by E (she/her/hers). Set somewhere in the West, The Harness follows the black lesbian farmer, Opal, on an adventure through different dimensions in a lesbian truck driver named Parker’s interdimensional 18-wheeler. This film sees two people from vastly different worlds find a new understanding of what the American Dream can be, a deeper connection to this planet, and love.
While discussing current representation, E said:
“[You] really do not see a lot of black queer women in leading roles. There’s not a whole lot of medium written by/for black queer women.”
E hopes this film will showcase a new understanding of what the American Dream can be. E is a Northeastern native who always had aspirations to be the next great science-fiction storyteller. Talking about her experiences growing up, E said:
“My entire upbringing from baby until 14 was black. My doctors were black. Dentists were black. My teachers and my peers, the majority of them were black. It’s a unique experience.”
Part of my American Dream is a reality where Black Americans can exist without the trauma, without the oppression.
Set to release in December 2023, The Harness tells a story that E wishes she could have heard while growing up. The main characters, Opal and Parker, travel through different dimensions in search of the answers to life. Along the way, they discover the intricacies of our reality in America. Discussing her own reality, E said:
“My American upbringing was very black. Part of my American Dream is a reality where Black Americans can exist without the trauma, without the oppression. Science fiction has always given me the space to explore those realities so that they don’t seem so far off.”
Suspended in space and time, The Harness offers a look into the American Dream and black queerness. We are excited to share this with the world.
E is…
- 20 Years-Old
- Female, Cisgender
- Black
- African American
- Bisexual
