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!!
