Director Jordan Blady’s newest project explores the beauty of poetry through another artistic medium: film. This short fashion film, titled “Somebody,” was created in collaboration with 22-year old Czech literary poet and model Bad’a Diaby.
“Somebody” is a visual interpretation of Diaby’s poem by the same name. It was shot in just three days during the summer of 2020 in Prague, Czech Republic, and marks Diaby’s debut as an actress.
The poem “Somebody” is about members of “Gen Z” (those who were born between 1997 and 2015) and their struggle for clarity and guidance when it comes to navigating the world. According to Diaby, who frequently writes about issues related to racism and mental health and desires to use her art to bring others together, it’s about “meeting with yourself” and discovering your true identity.
Despite being written with Gen Z in mind, this poem is also relevant to older people of other generations. The opening line, which states, “You don’t know who you are or where you belong until you meet somebody,” is particularly poignant.
In the short film, Blady builds upon Diaby’s work and creates a dream-like, ethereal universe to tell a story. He brings his vision to life with the help of other artists, including Slovak stylist and designer Dominika Kozakova and Czech cinematographer Igor Smitka.
In a statement about the film, Blady emphasized that it was Bad’a’s poem first and said that it was important to him to create something “that she would be comfortable with and proud of.” He added that he let the poem’s “deceptive simplicity” guide him in his directing, rather than getting hung up on “narrative parameters.”
Those who want to view “Somebody” can do so below. They can also follow Diaby and Blady on their respective social media accounts to learn more about them and keep up with their work.