Hold Me Down is a short film about a young mother who works as a stripper at an illegal nightclub to support her child. We had the opportunity to talk with director Niclas Gillis and actress Tanisha Lambright about the project and their efforts to raise awareness about the cause. Here’s what they had to say.
Hello Niclas and Tanisha. Thanks to both of you for taking the time to answer some questions about your film Hold Me Down. I’d like to start with you Niclas. Tell me about yourself and what led you to this project.
Niclas: Thank you, David. I moved from Sweden to New York when I was 19 years old. I was one of the only foreign students living in the dorms at SUNY College at Old Westbury, and within three months I was invited to what I thought would be regular house party in Harlem, but that proved to be an illicit event similar to the one depicted in the film. I witnessed a young woman have sex with a stranger on the floor of a crowded room for single dollar bills, and was shocked. We were the same age, and yet our realities seemed so far apart. When I asked her if she was okay, she told me that she had a two-year-old daughter and that this was what she had to do to survive. I couldn’t understand what sort of country would allow for a young mother to have to go through this to support her child, and I feared for what would become of her daughter.
Most troubling of all was the realization that her predicament seemed to be so common. It prompted me to more seriously study American history and its bearings on the present day reality. The more I learned, the more troublesome the situation appeared. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, there is almost no other country in the developed world in which the disparity between rich and poor is greater than it is here. And in spite of the so called “American Dream”, a person born into poverty in America is less likely to make it out of poverty by adulthood than in almost any other developed nation. So five years later, I set out to make a film that I hoped would give the women who live that life the opportunity to tell their own story, to raise awareness of the conditions that they face, and inspire change.
READ MORE: Review of Niclas Gillis‘ Short Film Hold Me Down
Tanisha, I know you have a deeply personal story to tell, and I wonder if you might share a little of that if you’re comfortable doing so and how you came to work with Niclas on this project.
Tanisha: Hi, David. Three and a half years ago, I stumbled into my local liquor store, distraught about life, when a random black guy offered me a flyer about auditioning for a movie. I didn’t plan to go, but I showed up anyway. I guess it was my gut, or God who lead me there. When I told Niclas my story, he was just in awe of how much I’d been through and still carried myself with such strength and dignity. I grew up fairly well; coming from the South Bronx, my biological mother was on drugs as many children’s parents were back then, but I was lucky to have my mother’s friend Patricia Thomas step in and take responsibility for me and my sister as a guardian. She took on the role of mom and dad for us. I didn’t know we basically lived in poverty; mom never made it look or feel like it. Growing up around violence is normal where I come from.
At age 16, I was raped by someone in the neighborhood that I thought to be a friend. Things quickly changed for me. I learned that my world wasn’t the same as that of white kids my age. I turned to a local drug dealer as my first boyfriend, but obviously he was just a pedophile; he was 30 and I was just 16. He introduced me to a lifestyle of fast money and nice clothes, and I didn’t know no better. After that was over, I needed to support the lifestyle that I had become accustomed to. Even though my mom still took care of me, I began to run the streets. I turned to drugs and alcohol to cope, feeling that men only wanted to exploit me. I turned to prostitution as a means to keep up and support my habits. When I met Niclas, I was on the brink of giving up on life. I was afraid to tell my story, but when I saw the other girls telling theirs, I had to. It saddened me to hear how similar our experiences were, and made me question why my black women face these issues. I have known women who couldn’t afford diapers or food, or even a place to live. Why my black women? I feel that society has been set up for us to fail ever since slavery. Even today, the system seems designed for minorities to stay in poverty. So I said to myself: if I can make a difference by telling my story, then I will.
Niclas, having watched the film, I want to ask about filming. What led you to use real women rather than professional actresses to tell this story?
Niclas: I couldn’t fathom making a film like this without involving the women who really live this life. This had to be about them.
Tanisha, in telling this story, you and others in the cast must revisit parts of your life that are clearly troubling. You are basically playing yourself in the film. What was that experience like?
Tanisha: I’ve been through rape, robbery, domestic violence, being hungry, and having no money, so this was nothing compared to my life. The acting was easy, because I was still living it. I was even still going through a lot of domestic violence. It became therapy, honestly. So many old wounds were reopened, but I had to get through it. I realized that I had – and still have – much to work on. I’ve come so far though, just from this movie.
Niclas, the film is meant to raise awareness while introducing many to a story they might not know is happening. What are your larger goals with the movie and actions you are doing to make a difference, such as your partnership with Project Rousseau?
Niclas: Until all children, regardless of their birth-given circumstances, gain access to a safe place to live, a quality education, and health care; until the criminal justice system shifts to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment; until we as a society learn to recognize our shared humanity, granting others that which we grant ourselves; we will never be able to turn the tide of oppression. These are not the lofty goals of young idealists, but human rights, as defined by the United Nations. That is what we wish to attain. In the meantime, we do what we can by working with local organisations. Project Rousseau has been a great ally, helping women in poverty gain access to the resources that are available. But we need to widen our reach.
Tanisha, being a voice in this project now, what is the message you hope to spread?
Tanisha: That we are women, mothers, sisters, daughters, and we are important too. Just because we’ve been pushed into a certain kind of life, it doesn’t mean that we are worthless. White women aren’t looked down upon for being prostitutes or strippers; it’s actually glorified! So why do my women who have never had a choice have to be belittled by the world? We do not lack respect for ourselves; we were just playing the cards that we were dealt. We have more heart than people will ever know. THE BLACK WOMAN IS POWERFUL AND WE ARE SURVIVORS.
Niclas, the same question.
Niclas: Like Tanisha said, we want viewers to recognize that we’re all human, that we all bleed the same color, and that we all deserve the same basic human rights.
Tanisha, I’m just curious how this film might make a difference for you and what plans you have going forward.
Tanisha: I believe and hope that this film will give insight and change people’s minds about women from the Bronx and women in our situation.
Niclas, as a filmmaker, you have made only short films, most centered on biographies and real life events. What do you like most about the short form style and are you interested in producing larger projects?
Niclas: We are actually in early pre-production on a feature film in the same world now, called Trouble Child. As in Hold Me Down, all the parts will be played by real people, only this time on a much bigger scale.
For both, and on a more fun movie-centered note, our website dedicates some of it content to great moments in film, discussing their influence and impact on cinema. I’m wondering, are there any movie moments or movies in general that have had influence or great meaning to yourselves?
Niclas: Hunger by Steve McQueen.
Tanisha: What’s Love Got To Do With It. Angela is amazing.