Guava Island — childish

Guava Island is a short film directed by the one and only Hiro Murai (Atlanta). It’s about Kofi (Rihanna) and Deni (Gambino), two young lovers living in “paradise” Guava Island (shot in Cuba). Deni is the lovable yet possibly naive dreamer. He’s tired of seeing his people exploited and his home being taken over by a dictator, Red Cargo (Nonso Anozie, GOT). Red Cargo owns the factories and docks that employ everyone so he thinks he owns the island. Because of the tyranny Deni wants to hold a festival to celebrate life and so that his people can believe in something again.

Throughout this short film, Gambino sings along to an adaption of This is America while exclaiming that corruption/capitalism is here and everywhere. But it’s up to the people to take a chance. Deni wants to remind his people of hope and living life for enjoyment and not just survival. But the festival leads to his death.

This film is melancholy yet whimsical. You want the characters to get their happy ending. You want good to triumph over evil. The illusion of fantasy is so appealing, so when the harsh reality of death hits it’s a deep reminder of power, ego, class-ism and colonialism. I know the timing was to line up with Gambino’s performance for Coachella but with the world still grieving Nipsey Hussle’s death, this short really stuck out to me.

It seems like we live in a world where anytime a Black man tries to make his community stronger, voices opinions against authority or questioning authority they get shut down. And if they get too close to accomplishing real solutions to problems in their community, they get murdered. That thought alone had me in light tears as I watched the ending scene of the people of Guava celebrating the life and death of Deni. A sea of blue crowded the streets. Rihanna dressed like royalty, walks with her people knowing Deni’s death wasn’t in vain.

It felt like I could hear Keenan Ivory Wayne's voice whispering "Message" in my ear.

You can watch Guava Island on Amazon Prime