In this exclusive interview, writer/director KENYA BARRIS discusses YOU PEOPLE, his feature directorial debut.
Known best as an acclaimed screenwriter for films “Coming 2 America”, “Cheaper by the Dozen”, “The Witches” and “Shaft” among others, and the award-winning television series “Black-ish”, “Mix-ish” and “Grown-ish”, Barris is no stranger to developing well-crafted characters and situations that focus on “life” and family and societal and cultural dynamics be they in Zamunda or the suburbs of Los Angeles. Barris has a grasp like no other on telling tales of cultural identity. And now with YOU PEOPLE he takes his innate storytelling ability from the page to the director’s chair and does so with great aplomb.
Directed by Barris and co-written by Barris and Jonah Hill, YOU PEOPLE stars, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Sam Jay, Mike Epps, Elliott Gould, Hal Linden, Richard Benjamin, Rhea Perlman, and Anthony Anderson in this tale of new couple, Ezra and Amira (Hill and London) and their families who find themselves examining modern love and family dynamics amidst clashing cultures, societal expectations, and generational differences.
Exhibiting a sure-footedness in his direction and storytelling, Barris strikes a wonderful cultural balance between the Black and Jewish cultures which is followed through on all counts from costume to production design to locations, while never losing or dismissing the authenticity and distinctiveness of diction and dialogue, individuality, and diversity. A true love letter to Los Angeles thanks to the work of cinematographer Mark Doering Powell and keen editing by Jamie Nelsen (scene transition montages are superbly shot and cut), Barris lets us walk in the shoes of Ezra and Amira and their families, and while getting a real taste of these different worlds, see and feel the universality and commonality shared by all.
In this exclusive interview, KENYA BARRIS discusses the genesis of the script, casting and working with this slate of preeminent seasoned comedy veterans, cinematography and capturing Los Angeles landmarks and locales that speak to each culture and set the tone for showcasing the back-and-forth POVs through the film, the challenges of editing and finding the needed beats to build character and story, score and eclectic needledrops and, among others, adding “director” to his resume and the importance of fighting for his vision (and he was right to do so!).
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, Exclusive Interview 01/20/2023
YOU PEOPLE is streaming on Netflix starting January 27, 2023.
