Director X, who is best known for creating huge music videos for Drake, Rihanna and others, is focusing his lens on matters of the heart in his new short film titled #BlackLoveIs for Tinder.
In the film, couples define what Black love is and share their experiences. In addition, the film examines the evolution of love — a departure from the quick hookups the popular app has been known for in recent years.
Meeting a stranger on the internet and falling in love was once taboo. Now, the idea of online relationships is every bit as normal as meeting in a bar. Speaking to rolling out about the evolution of love online, Director X — whose real name is Julien Christian Lutz — says the film supports what he calls Tinder’s higher purpose: a place for people to meet and find loving relationships.
“The app is a place for people to meet, but at the core of it is love,” he explains. “Its higher purpose is really getting to know someone, really falling in love and all the things that come with it. So it’s OK for Tinder to make a little film about their higher purpose.”
By being released during Black History Month, #BlackLoveIs joins a growing list of new-era Black love stories. In addition to his own offering, Director X believes Hollywood is making a conscious effort to present Black love stories, not to mention seeing the need for greater diversity in all aspects of filmmaking.
“I think we’re still in a bit of a rut, but there’s more cracking through,” he says. “Like Love Jones and Love and Basketball, there’s always a place for Black romance. Hollywood has definitely acknowledged the need to be more different, more diverse in front of and behind the camera. They’re not just saying it; I see it. They know they need to correct what’s going on and [are] working to do it. So in that correction, we will be seeing better work that represents everybody.”
Ultimately, the film boils down to what Black love means to Black people and how culture influences it — even if it originates on Tinder.
Flip the page to watch #BlackLoveIs.
