Support Rooftop jesus
ROOFTOP JESUS is a short film portraying the surreal nightmares of protagonist Lena as she questions the role of allyship in black liberation. The film asks: what (or who) must be sacrificed for our collective salvation?
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Our total budget for the project is $23,500.
Through your support, ROOFTOP JESUS can become a realized work of art.
in-progress
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In 2022, we established Blue Lilith Productions and raised $8,200 for our film.
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In August 2022, we had 2 days of rehearsals for dancers and actors, and 2 days of shooting with cast + crew of 25 people on a rooftop in Brooklyn.
what's next?
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We still have a long way to go! Our script is ambitious and we have faced many obstacles along the way. Please share our trailer, donate to our film, and reach out to us if you are interested in hearing more.
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LOGLINE:
When Lena is stuck on a rooftop with a group of white activists, she questions the role of allyship in the fight for black liberation. Haunted by the nightmares of neoliberalism in and out of dreaming, Lena decides her rest will not be the only casualty as we ask who or what must be sacrificed for our collective salvation.
ROOFTOP JESUS is a cautionary tale for the arts community, showing that the best intentions can cause harm without careful consideration. How can we uplift instead of further alienating members of the community we wish to serve?
ABOUT
Get to Know Us
Blue Lilith is a femme filmmaking duo made of amani meliyah and grace b. poppe. We filmically explore the complexities of intersectional feminism and how our communities give and receive love. We write, choreograph, shoot, direct, produce, and edit short films and music videos that use movement as a reflection of human relationships. Blue Lilith also curates events that highlight local artists and vendors, interweaving film screenings with live performance.
a production company embodying the spirit of balancing the scales through storytelling
amani meliyah
amani meliyah (writer/director) is a gullah geechee gal currently based in Brooklyn, NY. They are a multidisciplinary artist who creates socio-political portraits of identity, faith, and community through live performance, movement, poetry, and video. She earned a B.F.A. in Acting from Coastal Carolina University and is member of the 2023-2024 Leon Levy Roundabout Directors Group. Their favorite directing credits include Nyad's Dream by Julliann Lavallee; In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks; and original short films Parkside and Daughters. With Blue Lilith they directed visuals for musical artist Joey Ferber’s Not One to Guess.
Grace B. Poppe (director of photography) is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker, writer, and educator. She creates films based on personal essays, and satirical shorts that anthropomorphize unlikely objects. She received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts Photo/Video Department in 2021, creating a two-channel video installation, Divisions, about housing justice. Grace is currently a videographer for CUNY TV. To follow her current projects, please visit www.gracepoppe.com.
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Past Work
Joey Ferber | Not One to Guess | Official Music Video
from the album, "Country Gone Wrong."
a reflection on the push and pull of a straining relationship//
on the consequences of prioritizing help over health//
as told through dance.
"if i am saving you, who is saving me?"