Priya Ahluwalia collaborated with film director, Samona Olanipekun, to create Ahluwalia’s first short film, “Joy”, which is part documentary, part fly on the wall and part fashion film.
Joy is a kaleidoscopic love story that celebrates the ‘everyday beauty and strength of the Black existence’ and features community leaders, matriarchs, poets, athletes and political activists.
The film is a snapshot of Black liberation through Afro- Caribbean rituals, something of importance to both Ahluwalia and Olanipekun who both have Nigerian heritage.
Afro-Caribbean culture is bountifully rich and full of tradition. These traditions not only connect us with our past, any dedication to them is more often than not, an act of radical self-love. Through Joy, rituals so important to Black communities such as food, hair, sports and church are explored and celebrated in nuanced ways.