Love, both platonic and romantic, has fueled the most classic pieces of art, regardless of the medium- literature, paintings, choreography, symphonies, soundtracks, and films. L.A.-based filmmaker Jalen Blot finds himself heavily drawn to the virtue of love and the questions it stirs within himself as a writer and director.
“My hope is to uncover love in ways we don’t always think about. How can I dissect love in a way that isn’t traditional and teaches me something?
“What does it look like for two Black men to express platonic love on screen? What does it look like to love a parent that has hurt you? To love someone you’re not allowed to love?”, he questioned.
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Much of his curiosity within writing derives from his mother. She originally wanted to become a journalist but decided to become a nurse to provide for her family.
“She’s from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and my culture is very rich in music and orating. I grew up in a home of many women, and I was always hearing stories,” recalled Blot.
In 2016, Jalen learned a significant lesson in the power of writing and story-sharing after posting his positive experience with therapy – particularly as a Black man – on Facebook.
“People were in the comments writing and sharing their experiences. I saw the power of writing, and I realized I wanted to do whatever it took to get people to share their stories,” he said. This was the same year he vowed to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry, all predicated upon whether Barry Jenkin’s “Moonlight” won the Oscar for best picture.
As most people remember, that was the night of an egregious mix-up – “La-la-land” initially won the award. While the team was onstage to accept the Oscar, the correct envelope was handed over and clarified that “Moonlight,” in fact, had won. A man of his word, Jalen began to prepare for a cross-country move.
Since moving to L.A., Blot has created his best work to date while still having a few ideas germinating in pre-production. In 2019, his short film “Colors of Sanfoka” was an official selection of the 2019 Pan African Film Festival and a semi-finalist in the AT&T SHAPE competition.
Within the last few years, he has completed multiple short films including “Vows,” which focused on a vow-writer who excelled at love on paper but struggled in real life, and “Everything We Left Unsaid,” which is a three-part series of the short films “Why We Try,” “Why We Lie,” and “Why We Love.”
“My creative process doesn’t happen in one way, but it does start with a question: ‘what would it look like if,’” he explained. This phrase reliably propels Blot to highly unique stories and settings. Currently in pre-production is a rom-com short born from the question: what would it look like if two 70-year-olds fell in love at a funeral?
As of summer 2024, Blot is also embarking upon a fellowship as a director within Issa Rae’s company, Color Creative. With these new opportunities ahead, he is looking forward to creating stories that deeply resonate.
“My goal is to show Black and Brown people that they can do anything they set their mind to,” he said.
Stay aligned with Jalen on instagram @jalenblot
