Teyana Taylor Stars in NAACP Image Award-Nominated Film, 'A Thousand and One'

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart (with guest host Koosha Navadar)
Date: March 15, 2024
Episode Theme:
A deep-dive conversation with writer and director A.V. Rockwell, whose film A Thousand and One is nominated for seven NAACP Image Awards. Rockwell discusses the film’s exploration of gentrification, Black womanhood, family, motherhood, and the lived experience of Harlem as depicted through the story of Inez and her son Terry. The episode surfaces rich cultural and contextual commentary on how changes in New York City impact its most vulnerable residents.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Genesis of the Film: From Themes to Story

• Themes First, Story Second:
  Rockwell began with themes—her relationship to New York City, gentrification, Black womanhood, and motherhood—before developing the specifics of the family at the film’s center.
  • “For me, just in the ways that I was reconciling with my relationship to New York... gentrification is definitely a part of this story. But I think what the movie really explores is how we got to gentrification being something that's now dominating so much of life in the city.” (A.V. Rockwell, 01:36)
• The Human Cost:
  She wanted to highlight the price paid by families—especially the marginalized—when neighborhoods are “changing for the better” but at significant personal cost.

2. Visual Storytelling of New York’s Changing Landscape

• Landmarks as Narrative Tools:
  The film features significant New York landmarks to reflect loss of neighborhood history.
  • “There's this great shot of the Hotel Theresa in Harlem... and then it dissolves into an Old Navy... this is how jarring it is for this neighborhood to lose so much history and for people to be losing their homes.” (Alison Stewart, 03:21)
• Mayors as Era Bookends:
  Rockwell structured the film’s timeline to coincide with the transition from the Giuliani to Bloomberg administrations (1994–early 2000s), using their rhetoric and policies to illustrate the contradictory impacts of city improvement.
  • “The way I focused on structuring the film was through bookending two mayors... you see Giuliani come in in ‘94... then we move into Bloomberg... you see these changes that continue and how that, again, contradicts what’s being said...” (A.V. Rockwell, 04:52)
• Faces of Gentrification:
  The film humanizes the forces of gentrification—landlords, changing neighbors—not just physical or aesthetic transformation.
  • “A lot of times people think of gentrification... as just some new neighbors... but it’s a lot of things all coming together.” (A.V. Rockwell, 06:29)

3. Character Study: Inez, a Complicated Mother

• Adjectives for Inez:
  “She’s a force... deeply loving, deeply loyal and committed... a criminal with a heart of gold... impulsive, humorous, feisty... deeply, deeply sad, deeply longing for love... a very layered, complicated woman.” (A.V. Rockwell, 07:46)
• Maternal Impulse over Pre-mediation:
  Inez’s decision to take Terry comes from impulse and desperation, not a calculated plan.
  • “It was absolutely impulse... it just dawns on her that I have no idea how I am going to find you again once you’re moved... a moment of panic and desperation.” (A.V. Rockwell, 09:13)

4. Motherhood Under Scrutiny

• Complex Judgement:
  The film asks what it truly means to be a good mother and how society judges women who parent under difficult circumstances.
  • “She wants to [provide] but she doesn't necessarily... isn’t necessarily equipped to do it... she just really wants to help this young boy.” (Alison Stewart, 10:40)
• Lack of Resources and Support:
  Rockwell points out Inez’s youth and lack of role models, emblematic of many young, single mothers:
  • “Inez is young. She’s 22 when the movie starts... still a kid trying to figure out yourself, trying to figure out life... how do I create a life for you in which both of our survivals are managed and taken care of?... I didn’t have a mom. I didn’t have parenting. I didn’t have people around me that nurtured me in that way.” (A.V. Rockwell, 10:58)

5. Research, Writing, and Production Choices

• Writing Process:
  Started in 2018, blending lived experience with deep research, especially around New York history and the realities of foster care.
  • “I started it from a place of experience... but I did a lot of research... not only in terms of things that serve the plot... but also just like, what was going on in New York aside from what I knew, aside from what I lived and observed and historically, what took place.” (A.V. Rockwell, 12:06)
• Authenticity of Place—Filming in Harlem:
  Shooting on location in Harlem was essential. Local businesses, residents, and the sounds of Harlem helped root the film in its true context.
  • “It was so important to me to shoot in Harlem because I wanted to make sure that I was reflecting the neighborhood that I wanted to protect... the movie benefits not only narratively, but... I think just being able to shoot in Harlem and have Harlemites be a part of this film... this is the way that I’m also empowering this community.” (A.V. Rockwell, 13:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gentrification:
  “When you say a neighborhood is changing for the better... but yet the people that are most marginalized and most vulnerable are put in these positions where they're yet again being offended. I wanted to showcase that human price...”
  — A.V. Rockwell (02:24)

• Capturing Harlem’s Essence:
  “Harlem... it’s just a musical neighborhood. I think overall, it was just everything that I—especially being that I lived in Harlem at the time—everything that I could do to embody and celebrate Harlem, both on and off camera, I incorporated that into this.”
  — A.V. Rockwell (13:47)

• On Motherhood and Survival:
  “There’s no foolproof guide to like how to be the right parent. And so I think she's just figuring it out as she goes to the best of her abilities.”
  — A.V. Rockwell (11:51)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:48 – Introduction by Koosha Navadar, setting up the special NAACP Image Awards focus and context for A Thousand and One
• 01:30 – Alison Stewart introduces AV Rockwell and the genesis of the film’s themes
• 03:20 – Discussion on using New York landmarks and visual storytelling
• 04:52 – Influence of mayoral administrations on the film’s structure and narrative
• 06:29 – AV Rockwell breaks down the “faces” and impact of gentrification
• 07:46 – Character exploration: Adjectives for Inez
• 09:13 – The impulsive, protective act at the film's start
• 10:40 – Deeper conversation on motherhood, capability, and societal judgments
• 12:06 – Rockwell details research and writing process
• 13:19 – On-location shooting in Harlem, community involvement, and authentic texture

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Tone and Style

The conversation is intimate, reflective, and steeped in cultural and social context. Rockwell and Stewart discuss difficult topics with empathy and candor, preserving the complexity of individuals and communities at the heart of A Thousand and One.

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Transcript

[Radio Host]

I' ma put you on, nephew.

[AV Rockwell]

All right, unc.

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[AV Rockwell]

Can I take your order, miss?

[Radio Host]

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[Radio Host]

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[Koosha Navadar]

This is all of it. I'm Koosha Navadar in for Alison Stewart. And welcome back to our pre NAACP Image awards show of encore presentations featuring some of the nominated films. Now we'll turn to the film 1001, which is nominated in seven categories. The film tackles gentrification through the lens of a mother and son attempting to make a home for themselves while escaping the foster care system. It's up for writing and cinematography as well as outstanding actress, outstanding breakthrough performance twice for youth performance and breakthrough creative. Here's Alison's conversation with Queen's native writer and director, AV Rockwell.

[Alison Stewart]

Which element came first for you? Did you have a story or did you have themes?

[AV Rockwell]

I definitely have themes. I think for me, just in the ways that I was reconciling with my relationship to New York was. I think that was definitely a part of it. I think, you know, gentrification is definitely a part of this story. But I think what the movie really explores is how we got to gentrification being something that's that that's now dominating so much of life in the city. So you just, you see all the years that set the stage for it and what the vision was during that time from the leaders of the city and how that impacted these characters in explicit and also covert ways. And so I think that, you know, that's a lot of what I wanted to explore here. I think also the themes that I had in mind were like, you know, black womanhood and just being a woman in general. Yes. And mother and son relationships. So I think that I started with the themes and then just got into the more specific, like family. But I think family for me and the way that it's explored in the film is when you think about something like displacement in the ways that my characters are constantly threatened by that. I really wanted to showcase the impact of that. When you say a neighborhood is changing for the better, when you say a city is changing for the better, but yet the people that are most marginalized and most vulnerable are put in these positions where they're yet again being offended. I wanted to showcase that human price, and I think by showing the power of families, showing the power of what it means to have a home like this apartment that we're speaking of, and just have stability. And I think what that means for people, if you can see what that means for people, and then finally having the stability they need to access the American dream, then you can understand what it means to pull it away again. And.

[Alison Stewart]

And there's some things in it that are just so very New York. There's this great shot of the Hotel Theresa in Harlem, which was the place to go for the black literati and the Harlem Renaissance. And then I think it dissolves into an Old Navy, a shot of the Old Navy, and you get that sense of, like, this is how jarring it is for this neighborhood to lose so much history and for people to be losing their homes. To your point, when the neighborhood's allegedly on the come up, what were some of the creative choices you made to. To let us know about the changes? That was one that really, it struck me.

[AV Rockwell]

Yeah, I mean, I think you definitely nailed one right on the head. And I'm so excited that you bring that up because obviously this is a movie that the more you have context about New York and about the history of the city, the more you'll understand the nuances of the story that's in front of you. And I think Hotel Teresa, like I said, it's a historical monument of the city. And those blocks, Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, all of those are walkable acknowledgments of the way this neighborhood was a part of American history. And so to see that washed away for Chainsaw, see that washed away for all these things that make this neighborhood less specific and knock down that history. I mean, Lennox Lounge, which unfortunately, I couldn't feature in the film, but that has become a Wells Fargo. I think it's really tragic. And so I think that's definitely part of it. But all along, throughout the movie. And it's tough for me to share without wanting to give it all away. Give it all away. But I think the way I focused on structuring the film was through bookending two mayors that would have been leading the vision of the city over the time that Inez is focused on raising Terry and helping this young boy grow into a man. And so I think that you see Giuliani come in in 94. That's the year that he became mayor. You see what his Vision is. But you see how that vision unfolds in a way that seems to contradict what he tells citizens like Inez and Harlem, you know, what these changes should mean for them. And then from there, we move into Bloomberg, and obviously, the shift of the guard happens around the 2001, 2002 period. And so you see him come in, and he just continues to build on that vision. And it's interesting because as he comes in and during that time, hear him speak on the vitality of New York City neighborhoods and how special they are and how they are part of what makes the city a city and makes New York City so great, but then you see these changes that continue and how that, again, contradicts what's being said about the vision and goals for the city. So I think that you see it in big, macro ways like that, and hearing these mayors talk about their plans for the city and seeing how that is implied in the world around these characters. But then you also see it in direct ways. You know, like in the ways that, as you talked about, stop and frisk. Like, okay, if the neighborhood is supposed to be cleaned up, why is it cleaning? Why is it literally cleaning us up? You know, it's pushing us out of our neighborhood. Whether it's petty offenses and, like, a lot of the civility politics of the time or major offenses like that. And, you know, and then, obviously, you start to see the faces of change. And I think that was really important for me, especially in talking about gentrification. A lot of times people think of gentrification, and they just see it as, like, some new neighbors, nip. They see buildings changing, but they also see, like, you know, their neighbors changing. And that's a lot of what I've seen also. And just like, how it's been depicted in film and tv. But it's a lot of things all coming together. You know, how the neighborhood changes around you, and then you have the more explicit forces, the faces of it. Yes. Like that landlord that you mentioned. Like, to me, I think of him. I think of those people when I think of gentrification. And not, like, why is Susie moving into my building? You know, So I think that it's just all these things coming together is really what it's about. And I really wanted people to see that, especially if they're experiencing themselves. And it goes beyond, like, I'm just talking about the black community, but it happens to everyone who's marginalized in one way or another. And this is how it works.

[Alison Stewart]

Mike, is A.V. rockwell the name of her film is 1001. She wrote it and directed it. So Inez is our main character. We follow her in her quest to raise this boy, Terry. What are some adjectives you would use to describe Inez?

[AV Rockwell]

Some adjectives? I think she's a force. I think she's deeply loving, deeply loyal and committed, you know, to. I think she's a. She is a criminal, but she's a criminal with a heart of gold. I think she's impulsive. I think she's humorous. I think she's feisty. But I also think she's, like, deeply, deeply sad, deeply longing, you know, for love. So that could give you. I think she's a very layered, complicated woman.

[Alison Stewart]

So when she. She gets out of. Of prison and she spies Terry, this little boy on the street, her son. And she approaches him, and he's not really sure he wants to deal with her. She bribes other kids to find out where he is and what's going on with him. And she discovers he's in the hospital. So let's listen to a clip. And in this clip, she goes to the hospital. The two of them are sitting on the bed playing with Power Ranger action figures before she tells Terry that he might end up in another home soon. This is from 1001.

[AV Rockwell]

So who's the girl? I saw you hanging out with us.

[Radio Host]

The girl, Ma.

[AV Rockwell]

Was she your girlfriend?

[Alison Stewart]

Got the wrong one. That's the wrong clip. Oh, that's the wrong clip. We'll see if we can find the right clip. I'm not giving anything away because this happens at the top of the film. She decides to take Terry and go. Was that impulse for your character or was that the plan?

[AV Rockwell]

It was absolutely impulse. Because I think as it plays out in that part of the story, you know, you see, she discusses with him that, like, more than likely you're gonna move. And people don't even know that, you know, I'm in contact with you. So nobody's gonna be like, oh, by the way, this is where you're gonna find him. And you see her make petty attempts to just try to, like, be in touch with him in that scene. You know, like, giving her, you know, giving him the Beepa number and stuff like that. And so I think it just dawns on her that I have no idea how I'm going to find you again once you're moved. And what does that mean? Will I see you again? When will I see you again? How much time will pass again? And what's going to happen to you during that time? At the end of the day, he's in that hospital because of something severe that happened to him. He's not necessarily living in conditions that should make her feel like he's going to be okay. So I think it was just a moment of panic and desperation.

[Alison Stewart]

The movie also really looks at, and I thought this was really important, like what it means to be a good mother and how we judge mothers. Is Inez. I mean, Inez loves this little boy, but she seems like she just hasn't have the equipment necessarily, when she's young, to do what she wants to do.

[AV Rockwell]

Do what she wants to do, you mean, like, provide the way she wants.

[Alison Stewart]

To provide for him. Like, she wants to, but she doesn't necessarily. Isn't necessarily equipped to do it. But she still like, just really wants to help this young boy. And I'm just. I was curious what you wanted to explore about motherhood.

[AV Rockwell]

So you mean in terms of the physical, in terms of the literal challenges?

[Alison Stewart]

Maybe both, Yeah.

[AV Rockwell]

I mean, you know, I think people need to remember that Inez is young. She's 22 when the movie starts. And that was so important for me because especially for younger moms, especially for those young and single moms, in so many ways, like, you're still a kid trying to figure out yourself, trying to figure out life. You know, you spend your 20s trying to get stable, and it only gets more challenging when you have. When you have a child. And so I think Inez, she's fighting that fight, trying to figure out how do I create a life for you in which both of our survivals are like, managed and taken care of. But then also, how do I. Mom, I'm doing this for the first time and I don't fully have the tools to be a mom because I didn't have a mom. I didn't have parenting. I didn't have people around me that nurtured me in that way. So I don't really know what I'm doing here. And even people that do have that support system might still not know how to do it. There's no foolproof guide to like how to be the right parent. And so I think she's just figuring it out as she goes to the best of her abilities.

[Alison Stewart]

When did you write this film?

[AV Rockwell]

I began writing it in 2018 and that was a process, you know, just picking up the pen and putting it down. Because I started it from a place of experience, just pulling from my lived in experiences coming of age in New York. But I did a lot of research as well. Research not Only in terms of things that serve the plot, like the foster care system or how would she have been able to keep him in hiding? Like, what are the kernels that I needed in terms of knowing how he would have been able to sustain as an undocumented citizen, so to speak? But also just like, what was going on in New York aside from what I knew, aside from what I lived and observed and historically, what took place. So I did just a deep dive, just understanding what was happening. And so just in that whole process, it was constantly me writing. You know, if I felt like I needed something else, I would keep writing. And so I finished writing about 2020 is when I felt like, okay, we're ready to shift gears and go make this.

[Alison Stewart]

The film was shot in about six weeks in Harlem, Is that right?

[AV Rockwell]

Yes.

[Alison Stewart]

How did shooting in Harlem help the texture of the film?

[AV Rockwell]

I mean, I think it was so important to me to shoot in Harlem because I wanted to make sure that I was reflecting the neighborhood that I wanted to protect. You know, you have to see and feel the essence of Harlem. And I think that, you know, the movie benefits it, not only narratively, but also, I think just being able to shoot in Harlem and have Harlem, Harlemites be a part of this film, it's like, this is the way that I'm also empowering this community, empowering this neighborhood. A lot of these local businesses that give this neighborhood its identity versus what's new and coming in and pushing a lot of that out. So I think it was really important for us to be there, and I think it added in so many ways. And obviously, me just as a storyteller, I continue to just layer in those shades, not only between what you see on screen, but. But what happens off screen, like what you're hearing, what you're feeling, the sounds of it. It's just a musical neighborhood. I think overall, it was just everything that I. Especially being that I lived in Harlem at the time that I was making a movie, everything that I could do to embody and celebrate Harlem, both on and off camera, I incorporated that into this.

[Koosha Navadar]

That was Alison's conversation with Queens native writer and director Avie Rockwell about her film 1001, which is up for seven NAACP Image Awards this weekend. Up next, a Bronx centric tale story. Ave is up for outstanding Independent Motion Picture. That's next. This is all of it.

[Radio Host]

I'mma put you on, nephew.

[AV Rockwell]

All right, unk.

[Commercial Announcer]

Welcome to McDonald's.

[AV Rockwell]

Can I take your order, miss?

[Radio Host]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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