Independent filmmaker Bobby Huntley II has been making the film festival circuit rounds with his smash hit “La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” a tale about love lost, sibling sisterhood and Black girl friendships. Screening as part of the 26th annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival, “La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” made a lasting impression on the standing room only audience at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw plaza after racking up numerous feature length film awards from Baltimore International Black Film Festival, Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival and most recently, the Peachtree Village International Film Festival. “Coming-of-age stories are some of my favorites to watch and create. I’ve noticed a lack of those for or about Black women – without heavy trauma and drama,” says Huntley. “We wanted to show the ups and downs of life, including death, but keeping the audience’s spirits up throughout the ride. Also, as a male, I wanted to see a film about women that doesn’t center around, or necessarily, bash men. There’s space for those stories to exist, too.”
“La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” is given its name because of the title character, Charlie, who is a young woman struggling to hold on to a small bit of sanity in the zany world around her. After the loss of her closest and dearest friend, who happened to be her only sister, Charlie endures her own form of grief. The film is a beautiful exploration of the power of sisterhood and the beauty of Black female bonding. Each character struggles to remain true to themselves and their authentic selves – even after the emotional toll of death. “I am definitely intrigued by the interpersonal relationships between women – especially Black women. So much can be communicated with so little. The things women go through every day fascinate me,” says Bobby Huntley II. “I tapped my collaborator Nikki Wade to help tell this story because she is a Black woman, and I knew there were elements and nuances I could not reach by myself. With “Charlie,” I wanted to create a story and a world just for them. Strong, enterprising and creative women dealing with love, loss, and just wanting to remain happy and rooted in self care. Not necessarily centered around men. I want this film to generate conversation.”
We follow Charlie and her friends, Kayla and Keturah, as they help her heal and explore poignant themes of mental health, sickle cell, death and female empowerment. The filmmaker describes “Charlie” as a passion project, which was shot in and around Atlanta with no budget, over a six-weekend period. “When we filmed the movie, we had no budget, but as a collective of artists we wanted to come together to create something unique, and vibrant, and timeless,” Huntley said. “This was definitely a passion project where a lot of people came on board because they loved the work and the short films we’ve done so far, including our cinematographer LaKisha Hughes. (It was important to have a Black woman behind the lens to tell this story.) She saw promise, so she was down for the cause. It took us about seven weekends to shoot in and around Atlanta, plus a few more days for pick-up shots. We had to keep the spirit of prayer – our faith in God – and make phone calls to land locations or to make sure everyone was fed every day. We ate sandwiches, or my mother would cook. Every week we just had to power through and figure it out. It was a very artsy community collaboration, and we all chipped in and gave our share.”
The quirky French aesthetic was influenced by the 2001 classic “Amelie” and includes a funky Minneapolis sound-infused score by acclaimed music producer Chuckey Charles. “La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” stars first-time actor Kortnee Price in a breakthrough performance as the quirky and lovable central character, Charlie who is supported by her two best friends portrayed by Nikki Lashae and Lailaa Brookings. Ashley S. Evans, stars as Charlie’s sister Brandy. “I have two older sisters. I’m very close with them, but their relationship to each other is otherworldly. That’s a common thread I’ve seen with a lot of sisters,” says Huntley. “Especially with Charlie and Brandy being half sisters, I wanted them to have an unshakable bond despite how the family was formed. We don’t see that often even though mixed families are more common. I wanted Brandy to be the love of Charlie’s life. They both represent sides to each other that the other is lacking.”
Netflix’s “Stranger Things” breakout sensation Priah Ferguson, stars as young Brandy and Kai Ture portrays young Charlie. Award-winning writer/director Bobby Huntley II and producer Nikki Wade, are best known for working together to create the viral fan-made trailer for “The New Edition Story,” which garnered several million views and eventually laid the groundwork that led to the highly-rated BET miniseries. “We tour this film often, and we screen in at least two to three cities a month. Stay current on our social media to find out where we are going next (Pittsburgh, Houston, and Hampton University in Virginia), and when we’ll circle back to LA again.”
“La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” is executive produced by Chet A. Brewster of Davenstar 1 Entertainment; Nikki Wade produces via Divadom Entertainment; Cinematography is by Kisha Hughes; Colorist is Brandon Cordy.
