17 Jan Philadelphia Artist Spotlight: Jasmine Lynea

BY GABE CASTRO

The cinéSPEAK Journal publishes a monthly Philadelphia Artist Spotlight highlighting local filmmakers and moving image artists doing unique and impactful work. 

Jasmine Lynea is a Philadelphian film director and writer. Known for her colorful and experimental work, Lynea says she aims to “redesign familiar worlds with unique possibilities.” Her work focuses on Black queer narratives with the intention to uplift and empower these stories using a tasteful blend of fantasy and reality. Her first short film, The Mixtape: Stay Black, Baby!, is a poetic social and political story about Black youth rising. The making of it lit a filmmaking spark in her. Afterwards, she took her newfound skills and began teaching film at the Northeast Philadelphia Public school, Samuel S. Fels High. While there, she worked to inspire new voices and continued her own filmmaking journey.

The Mixtape: Stay Black, Baby! is a beautiful collection of stories touching on Black community issues and strength. It’s poetic and musical, amplifying the voices of the young creatives on screen in a way that truly sticks with you. Her experimental short film, How to Survive a Mourning, screened at the William Way LGBT Community Center’s 16th Annual Juried Art Exhibition. The film follows a Black queer teacher with depression who works to encourage his Black and Brown students to dream limitlessly.

Her latest film, The Love Machine, was created as part of the inaugural BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab and premiered at the 2022 BlackStar Film Festival. True to her writing style and themes, the film is a story of family and healing. The Love Machine is about a teenager who creates a time machine that uses love to help heal and replace harmful childhood memories. Nasir, part scientist and part social media influencer, puts the invention to the test, working to challenge intergenerational trauma. Jasmine Lynea is currently working on her next short film, Della Can Fly, with the support of Independence Public Media Foundation.

cinéSPEAK asked Lynea about her filmmaking inspiration. We explore how Philadelphia has shaped her work and how, in turn, she wants to impact Philadelphia.

cinéSPEAK: What inspired you to be a filmmaker?

Jasmine Lynea: As I grow into myself and continue to move with intention, I realize now [that] what truly inspired me to be a filmmaker is the freedom to create my own worlds. I remember the first movie I saw in theaters with my uncle, which was Space Jam. I was so amazed at how animated and live-action worlds fused. I wanted to do something like that–strange yet fun. 

cinéSPEAK: How did you get started on your recent film? What are the themes of this work?

JL: I started writing The Love Machine during some dark times in my life and I was trying to find a way out. Music, specifically R&B songs about love, guided me back to self. And naturally, I began writing in response to what I was listening to–songs like “Somebody Loves You” by Patti Labelle and “Sending my Love” by Zhane gave way to a new beginning, in terms of art and finding my voice. The Love Machine elaborates [on] and explores topics such as love, family, intergenerational trauma, and the power of technology and spirituality. 

Music is an important motivator and inspiration for Lynea’s work. Each film has a strong soundtrack that elevates the piece to an emotional space. The Love Machine came from a love and new understanding of Patti Labelle’s “Somebody Loves You.” In an interview with Tinsel and Tine, Lynea explains how expanding her perception of love inspired the film, sharing, “When listening to the song it’s easy to understand that she is addressing her love for an intimate partner. However, how I received the song at a time of self-healing, ‘Somebody Loves You’ became a love letter to myself.” Once she saw love from this perspective, she was able to explore the importance of self-love but also the effects of intergenerational trauma. Lynea continued, “If I work on myself, beginning with love, who else does that support or heal?” Lynea worked with BlackStar’s Music in Cinema Fellow David Adams to create the emotional eccentric sound for The Love Machine.

cinéSPEAK: How has Philadelphia shaped and influenced the process and/or content of your work? And what impact do you hope your work will have in the Philadelphia community?

JL: While writing the screenplay for The Love Machine, I was a high school film teacher at Samuel S. Fels High School. There, I taught film and video to a diverse group of Black and Brown students in Northeast Philadelphia. Along with teaching, I was their therapist and mentor. As I talked to my talented and curious students, familiar stories about family and love would surface in our conversations. This helped me understand how important this work is and why it is so necessary to exhibit. But it also gave me the idea of the character Nasir. He’s a teenage scientist and influencer from Philadelphia with a desire to connect more with his parents in order to build a strong family foundation.

I hope my work inspires, specifically, Black and Brown communities in Philadelphia to transcend and be radical with love and family relationships.

The Love Machine is currently making its rounds in the festival circuit. Follow the artist on social media to learn more about where to catch this film and her upcoming projects. Visit her website to view her other films.

*Featured Image: Image of Jasmine Lynea. Image Credit: Lendl Tellington.

Would you like to be featured in a future spotlight? Please fill out the Philadelphia Artist Spotlight form. The cinéSPEAK Journal maintains sole discretion over the publishing of any information provided via the form. Questions: journal@cinespeak.org

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Gabe Castro is a Philadelphia-based Latiné multimedia professional specializing in the horror genre. Gabe believes media can be used as a tool to bring social change and works in all she does to create impactful and inspiring media.