Following up one of the best documentaries of 2023, Kokomo City (which we awarded with the 2023 Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award), director D. Smith has set her next project with an ambitious undertaking. Blvd, backed by Media Res and Brandon Sharp’s Agenda, will aim to explore what connects and divides people throughout America.
Here’s the synopsis via Deadline: “Infused with visual poetry, and applying the same innovative techniques and signature style established in Smith’s debut, the genre-bending Blvd aims to show audiences what really connects and divides people from each other and the rest of the country. The film shines a light on Black communities with the aim to tell not just a neighborhood story or a history lesson, but a story about all of who Black people are, here and now.”
“BLVD is a raw real reflection of where we are,” said Smith. “The best way to encourage Black people is to remind them who we are. I want to show the beauty in the filth and the filth in the beauty. It’s gonna be outrageous.”
Naming Smith’s debut one of the best documentaries of 2023, Steve Erickson said, “In response to crises personal and political, Kokomo City ceases caring about who might be watching; it instead speaks loudly and honestly. D. Smith, who was homeless when she began the film, lent a platform to her social circle of Black trans sex workers. As a former music producer whose career collapsed when she transitioned, Smith’s background is evident in the lyrical editing and eclectic choice of songs. Kokomo City lets its subjects speak with total frankness about their resentments. It’s as raw as a blast of cigarette smoke in your face.”
Kokomo City is now available to stream via Showtime, and one can see the trailer below.