15 Minutes. USA. 2022. PG. Romance
This film is based off true events
LOGLINE
When Blanche, a twenty-five year old woman visits her Grandma Ruby, she expects their reunion to be like it always is; filled with stories, laughter, and her famous soul food dinner. But, when the highly anticipated Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle airs and steals Grandma Ruby’s attention, Blanche soon realizes that she must step up to the “plate” and learn the family traditions despite her modern ideas of womanhood.
SYNOPSIS
Ever since childhood Blanche loved to visit her Grandma. She smelled of peppermints and cigarettes,made the best fried chicken in Mississippi but could crush your spirits with a simple stare. Her eyes screamed, “ if you keep crying, I’ll give you something real to cry about”. Visiting Grandma Ruby was like a portal into a different life in the South. From the wide red pavement streets, to the friendly neighbors that always speak, all the way down to that good old southern cooking. Up until then, Blanche had always seen her as an aging woman, but this specific trip was different. She saw her as Ruby for the very first time.
Sunday morning Blanche wakes up to see her Grandma Ruby sipping her daily morning cup of joe leaning against the tile counter. Instinctively, Blanche takes a seat to observe. She realizes that she will be performing the magic this morning when Grandma Ruby definitively states that she must watch the royal wedding.
Reluctantly, Blanche agrees and makes her way to the kitchen as well. Grandma Ruby gives her step by step instructions but drifts in and out of media coverage of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. Blanche--frustrated with the lack of knowledge and technique to even cut a potato--is even more puzzled that her once stubborn and independent Grandma is in fact a hopeless romantic. After sneaking casual glances at the screen, Grandma Ruby begins to reminisce on the only time she felt like a princess.
Between showing Blanche how to peel potatoes and cook fried chicken, Grandma Ruby reflects on when she met her prince, Mr. Jim. He was her landlord, there to fix a leaky roof. She felt an instant connection with him; it was love at first sight. They dated for a few years and she relocated to California upon Jim’s request. By the time the story was complete, Blanche had proudly made a full course meal: fried chicken, black eyed peas, greens and yams. By 2 o’clock, Grandma Ruby taught Blanche how to cook, passing down the culinary tradition to yet another generation. Upon reflection and conversation, Blanche learns that when true love exists, people change and can show a more compassionate and authentic version of themselves, from southern love to royal weddings.
WRITER STATEMENT
The R&B short film is based off of an intimate series of moments I shared with my Grandma Ruby in 2018. Through the highly televised royal wedding, I had the opportunity to bond over tales of love, life and soul food traditions with my grandmother. This experience showed me how impactful someone's story can be if you decide to truly listen. There is power in finding the right partner and there are numerous models of relationships to guide me. But I learned that I get to choose what type of woman I want to be.
That morning in May, my Grandma Ruby had been up for hours anticipating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding. My grandmother is not the type to knit sweaters in her downtime-- she drinks, smokes cigarettes and will cuss you out in a heartbeat. I was surprised that she held such a strong interest in the royal wedding, I did not know black people cared much at all about the happenings in England. But she did! In fact, as she marveled at the first black princess, she began to tell me her own royal princess story. For 27 years I saw my grandma, a pillar in my upbringing, but not as Ruby the woman.
All my life my mom tried to force me into the kitchen. She even confessed that she had failed as a mother because I refused to learn how to cook. Cooking to me symbolizes tradition, all the depictions of women I’d seen until that were submissive towards their husbands. They ran after snotty nosed kids and cooked big fancy meals without a simple thank you. This was something I never wanted to mirror.
This conversation with my Grandma Ruby, however, was the first time she let her “hard” exterior down just for a second and I was reminded that she had loved once too. Although, to me, she was very independent and could care less about what a man wanted, in these fleeting moments, I learned, for the right person, you’ll cater to them and they’ll cater to you because that is what love is. Both sides are willing to sacrifice what they are for what they could be, together.
The R&B short film is a piece of peace for me and hopefully for others. It encompasses themes of traditions in soul food and womanhood.
CREW
Director of Photography : Amanda Willoughby
Location Sound: John Hamilton
Script Supervisor: Jessica Chaney
CAST
Judi Stiner Gray
Ambria Janay
Special Thanks to Mark Jones.
This film was made possible in part by the Black Creators Forum Grant from Indie Memphis & TONE
Grandma Ruby & Blanche