“I think what makes a filmmaker stand out is tethering themselves to how they value the world from an authentic place.”
- Naima Ramos-Chapman
Naima Ramos-Chapman is a director, writer, actor and dancer from Brooklyn, NY. Their work has been rooted in magical realism and surrealism.
Naima really caught my attention when looking for modern-day filmmakers focused on surreal, psychological and spiritual storytelling. Their themes cover navigating societal and cultural hierarchies centering self identity, acceptance, trauma and overall mindfulness. With a background in dance, Naima’s directing style is very lively and fluid as they instruct actors and cameras to move with intention and visual appeal.
Naima entered the filmmaking space through journalism and documentary filmmaking. Naima has worked on their own successful short films including And Nothing Happened (2016), Piu Piu (2018) and other HBO Max shows like Random Acts of Flyness (2018) and Betty (2020).
You can tell Naima likes art that has subtext, which lends to the knack for surrealism and fantasy. In an interview with The Black Film Space Podcast, Naima explained how they want to share stories that express reality in a beautiful way - showcasing imagery in another dimension, accompanied with very real feelings and experiences.
I think Naima represents authenticity, raw emotion and vulnerability in their work. Naima remains original and inspires others to tell their personal stories in their art.
AND NOTHING HAPPENED (2016)
