Dr. Rasheed (right) moderates a Q&A with filmmaker Jordan Thierry (left) after the screening of Grandma's Roses. Photo by Bryson Edlund
A live screening of the documentary “Grandma’s Roses” by filmmaker Jordan Thierry was held at LCC on May 13 to celebrate Mother’s Day. It looks through the lens of Thierry’s grandmother. In African American culture, grandmothers are highly revered and seen as the culture keepers.
Thierry interviewed several grandmothers on their experiences of hardship in the workforce, going to college and the sacrifices made. Thierry was inspired to make this film because of his grandmothers; they were always there for him when he needed the most and after they passed away he left roses with his grandmothers.
His grandmother made a major impact in Thierry’s life and he wanted to share her story. “This is about the labor and love of women of color and how we exploit it and take it for granted. About how that impacts women and the women we care about. The film looks at the contributions they make towards their families, their communities, and their workplaces. I’m trying to honor that while the systems of oppression are still facing women of color today, of the ones who survived in their lives.”
Thierry chose roses in this film because they are a symbol of love — a closeness to mothers.
Thierry found the editing process the most difficult aspect in the film. “Weaving my personal and my grandmother’s stories into a larger societal context; I wanted to share my grandmother’s life and how she was so impactful to me. The other challenge was cutting the film down to a manageable length for viewing; there were a lot of beautiful insights and incredible stories that couldn’t make it into the film. This is the hardest part of a documentarian’s job.”
Thierry hopes with the screenings of “Grandma’s Roses” the audience will walk away with a greater appreciation of the women in their lives also to understand ways we can be more supportive and disruptive toward systems of oppression and violence against women. Thierry believes this is a provocative film to leave room for thought for others to reflect on and spark some dialogue.
