Ashli ​​J. Washington Dreamed of Atlanta and Woke Up a Filmmaker

Washington re-entered the black academic environment in 2016 when she began managing social media at Spelman College, the all-black women’s college in Atlanta. She describes her time at Spelman as particularly transformative, as she shared the stories of other young black women like her and saw the fruits of the college’s arts community throughout the city.

While her time at Spelman helped inspire “Relatable,” the project began more with Washington’s personal experience as a 36-year-old black woman without a partner or children. She admits that throughout her 20s, she envied her friends who had chosen the more “traditional” path of settling down and starting a family. But today, she wouldn’t trade her life for a second.

Being single and childless has made it easier for her to pursue the arts, and she’s noticed that single black women are increasingly accepted, even lauded, on social media. “We have the ‘rich aunt’ and the ‘sweet life,’ and all these things that are celebrated now,” she says. “So[with ‘Relatable’], “I wanted to continue that and bring it to a more formalized level (where) people could see themselves reflected, through the stories of women that are being highlighted.”

Credit: Photo by Ashli ​​J. Washington

Credit: Photo by Ashli ​​J. Washington

“Relatable” explores how young black women are defying and transcending the social norms of previous generations. The film tells the stories of seven Atlanta women, including Washington herself. While each story is unique, Washington says it was refreshing to see the similarities they all shared throughout the filmmaking process.

Some subjects, like Washington, had attended black colleges and universities, while several others had lost their mothers at a young age and had to deal with that loss throughout their careers. “We’re multifaceted human beings,” Washington says. “If you just do a little digging, a little work, you’ll find there’s something that’s relevant.”

As Washington conducted preliminary interviews and got to know her subjects on camera, those commonalities became the beating heart of “Relatable’s” message. “We’re very different and nuanced, but there’s so much we can connect to if we just ask a few questions,” she says. “There’s something in there that will help you know you’re not alone — in your experiences and your triumphs, but also in some of the things that are unfortunate or sad.”

Credits: Paris Lovette

Credits: Paris Lovette

“Relatable” The premiere took place on June 26 at the Switchyards Neighborhood Work Club in downtown. Washington funded the project through a grant from Arts and Entertainment Atlanta and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, which specified that his project have an “activation” element in the downtown area. Having lived downtown for 15 years (his entire life in Atlanta), Washington found that this requirement added another layer of meaning to the project; it allowed him to showcase how the neighborhood has evolved over the past two decades.

After the film premiered, audience members shared their personal stories with Washington, expressing how the film had moved them and inspired them to pursue their own creative endeavors. “At the end of the movie, I asked the audience, ‘If you found something in the movie that resonated with you, raise your hand,’ and everyone raised their hands,” Washington said.

Seeing the public’s reaction to “Relatable,” Washington changed his mindset about marketing and releasing the film.

“My goal originally was to get into film festivals. Let’s network, let’s do this, let’s do that. But now the goal is to get the film seen by as many black women and boys as possible,” she explains.

Washington has already reached out to staff at Spelman and other black colleges to screen the film and hopes the film will gain wider distribution through local fundraisers and word of mouth. “The reception has been so good that now people who have seen it can become ambassadors,” she says.

Although she’s been promoting the film for the past six months, there’s still work to be done. For the rest of the year, Washington plans to focus on getting the film into people’s living rooms. (In the meantime, there are currently no screenings scheduled.)

“Relatable celebrates the big themes of freedom, joy, and self-care, but also touches on loss and grief,” she says. “It’s a really powerful and important work that I think every woman should see.”

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Saint Thigpen is an arts writer who has been featured in cultural and literary publications such as BUST, the Ringer, Talon Review, and Bright Lights Film Journal. She holds a Masters in English from Trinity College Dublin and spends her free time reading crime fiction and traveling alone.

Credits: ArtsATL

Credits: ArtsATL

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