Let's Stay Together

Never has a film's title held so much significance as it does with Joshua Bee Alafia's Feature Film "Let's Stay Together." The Film which earnestly examines the dysfunction and "disruption" of Love in African American communities also pays honor to Al Green's timeless and transformational song of the same name. The film is anchored by Parker (played with confidence by Alafia himself), a filmmaker who becomes deeply concerned by the existence of so many "broken" Black Families. In search of answers he sets out to do a documentary on the subject. As we follow the single Parker who is growing attached to his close friend Nzinga (played with sensitivity by Sharaka) who is involved with another man, we find that the answers aren't simple, as the characters of the story are as flawed we all are. So the film's journey becomes our own. Aisha Cisse is Makeda, the beautiful "no strings attached lover" that every man has fell in love with at our own hearts risk. The young couple, existing of band mates Noah (a solid Jonan Everett) and Carmen (played with tenderness by Ashley Ramsey) takes us back to the fear and excitement of our first love. Through Freddy, a biracial martial arts instructor (played by Albert Lamont in a seething and unforgettable performance) we examine our manhood and identity. Films such as LST, with multiple characters and intersecting story lines are usually either uneven and unfocused or artistic masterpieces. Fortunately, Alafia manages to keep the audience enlightened and engaged throughout and the film's finale is both unpredictable and incredibly imaginative. Alafia, who gets compelling turns from both seasoned performers and newer actors also has a very strong ear for music, and skillfully inserts a number of spectacular and quietly soothing performances from members of the cast, such as Ramsey, Everett, and sweet voiced Valerie June, who prove to be accomplished musical artists. Look out for them, and look out for Joshua Alafia, a talent and true story teller.

Joshua Bee Alafias' docu-drama entitled "Lets Stay Together" looks to chart some new earth,entertain and engage viewer in a dialouge about the shape of Black relationships today, and repair some of the old stereotypes with emphasis on communication in Black love and the importance that family is best held together when communication is not cut-off and when fear is overcome anything can be worked out given time,patience and a clear understanding.

Lets Stay Together takes a look into the complexity six black men find themselves confronted with and the decisions they have to make so that things "Stay Together" in there love experiences moving forward.

Freddy,played by Albert Lamont has to confront his anger and discover where its coming from, Parker played by Joshua Bee Alafia has confronts his mid-life crisis and disillusions that Al Greens song will save black relationships from inevitable doom, Desmond played by Jaleel Bunton confronts the reasons he abandoned his son and lover now that shes successfully moved on without him, Noah played by Jonan Everetthas to confront abandonment issues he has with his father he never met and his fear of commitment,Turiq played by Erwin E.A. Thomas faces the challenges of being a single father raising a daughter and James played by Mtkalla Keaton faces the feeling of insecurity and self-loathing, not feeling good enough for real love.

Lets Stay Together is a wonderfully shot montage that includes live music that warms the heart,dramatic scenes and documentary-style talking heads related to the honest varied perspectives of why black love often fails. Sometimes coming off as over-rehearsed, i would have like to see more "off the script" improvisation.

Lets Stay Together does provide a great lesson in showing these examples of what it really takes to get over the humps, a rebirth and thought process and integrity needed. It offers olive branch to black woman to look at black men with fresher eyes and not by the old stereo-types they may have fallen into, and presents viable alternative for black men to deeper explore, meaning placing the child as a priority if its not possible to have a love relationship with the mother.

Lets Stay Together is a story that looked to confront the many challenges confronted by black couples and families and the link between them is honesty and courage. Black love has a unique shape of its own and needs to be approached uniquely, and often there approaches are overlooked.

Lets Stay Together is a must-see film. Joshua Bee Alafia takes a great stab at a very condensed topic and does it with loving care. Alafias' bold move to make a film like this will hopefully inspire more of the same. Excellent theatrical performances all around,great live musical performances and a dynamite soundtrack with Al Greens music re-introduced in a variety of forms this film pays his legacy its due respect--please check it!!

I had read about "Let's Stay Together," in News One for Black America where staff writer Casey Gane-McCalla called it one of the 10 Black films to see in 2012. The trailer was cool. So me and the lady made a point to see it on a cold Friday evening. WOW! The festival is about New Voices and this is a new voice with a lot of potential and a bright future to come. First of all, it's Brooklyn all day. Coming from the Bronx, I don't really go to Brooklyn that much, but the social fabric of this film represents the artistic movement that is vital and coming out of BK all day. I'm also usually not crazy about independent films where the director is all up in it acting, as Alafia chooses to do. I find it distracting, like the director is holding my hand. I told Alafia he must love Woody Allen, and he said he grew up watching him, so yeah... In the Q n A after wards, he explained he had no budget, so I guess he thought it would save costs. Well, he pulled it off, not a bad actor, but Albert Lamont as "Freddy," had the theater rolling with laughter, playing a self hating biracial character who insists that his Filipino girlfriend can't embrace her African roots. Alafia doses out a lot of hard to swallow delusions with his characters, but somehow they make sense with this strange logic that he weaves throughout the piece. Alafia's character "Parker" is a filmmaker who believes Al Green's new album will make broken Black Families come back together. He interviews the young talent, Jonan Everett, not growing up with a father, and we see Everett's character try to navigate teen pregnancy. I had seen Jonan Everett in a film called "Angel Rodriguez" by Jim McKay and was happy to see him do his thing in Let's Stay Together, I think he's great! Parker has a complicated relationship with an ex girlfriend named "Nzinga," played beautifully by Sharaka and each story supports the thesis that relationships have a fracturing by our own traumas of being in this society and fears of coming into ourselves. Jaleel Bunton of the band TV on the Radio is featured first as comic relief then gives a really beautiful scene as he tries to tie up the loose ends in his life around family. If it sounds like I'm being vague, yes I am, I want you to see this remarkable film!