A Conversation with Alrick Brown, Director of 'The Forever Tree' at Bentonville Film Festival

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The pioneering black historical fantasy short film, The Forever Tree, premiered Tuesday, May 2 at Bentonville Film Fest.

The dramatic short story takes place in 1919, with a wide cast of historical characters such as the hair and beauty American icon Madame C.J. Walker, and other notable black leaders of the era. The short film production serves as a first act to a feature-length film of the same name, which will take place throughout America, Jamaica, and Ghana, and examines the universal struggle of power and familial love.

Alrick Brown, an award-winning director and Filmmaker Magazine’s new “25 Faces to Watch” directed the film.

Early critics have praised the film for its unique level of innovation with combining magic, imagination, and drama, weaving true historical figures and accounts during the span of the story.

The film stars actors Wendell Pierce and Olivia Washington (daughter of Denzel Washington). They team up with screenwriter, novelist, and former television correspondent Chrishaunda Lee Perez, who co-wrote the film, along with Marc Novak and Stephen Hintz.

Former NBA star and hometown Razorback-hero Ronnie Brewer serves as an executive producer along with the Bentonville Film Festival. The Bentonville Film Festival, an annual film festival helmed by Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actress Geena Davis, chose the film to premiere

We got the chance to talk with Director Alrick Brown about the film’s process and the challenges involved:

Photo by Joel Plummer /
Olivia Washington — the daughter of Denzel Washington — stars as Tawny Bennett in The Forever Tree. Tawny is faced with a decision that could alter her entire life in the short film.

TFW: How did Forever Tree come to you?

BROWN: The writer Stephen Hintz and Chrishaunda Lee and Mark Novac, this is Stephen’s brainchild. He wanted to do an ethnic adventure with strong black female lead. He was drafting a feature with these guys, and I think the process was to take a portion of that script and create a prelude to introduce people to the world with a smaller story first. I was contacted a few weeks before they went into production. Stephen’s from Arkansas, and they had hired another director in New York, where I’m based. It didn’t work out scheduling-wise, and I was informed like three weeks prior. They knew I had traveled in Africa, lived in Jamaica and Harlem and had an international perspective. They asked me if I wanted to take it over because they thought I would get their story and what they were trying to say. We had three weeks to get it together, which is a beast for a short independent film set in 1919 Harlem. We did our best to make it look and feel like the movie.

TFW: What were some of the elements of the story that excited and motivated you to get involved?

BROWN: People send me stuff all the time and I’m always skeptical. When I read their short, it was really well written. I could see what they were going for. It was really thoughtful. That was kinda enough. I talked with them critically about what would need to be adjusted just within these few minutes, and they were agreeable. Once that happened, which it was their baby y’know, once they let a stranger come in and let him change these things I thought to myself I can work with this.

TFW: What do you think are some of the film’s strongest elements?

BROWN: I think the idea of the adventure. On a personal level, it’s about someone stepping into their own skin and believing in themselves. That’s what Tawny’s (Olivia Washington) journey is. It’s the beginning of the hero’s journey, y’know it’s Luke Skywalker’s beginning journey from his home planet. It’s that familiar launching point where they’re making that decision to go on that adventure. I love the fact that it’s rooted in some historic context with Madame CJ Walker and Marcus Garvey’s ship. There’s things that certain audiences are going to really gravitate to, and the implications and grandeur of these people. It’s pretty exciting.

TFW: What were some of the challenges of making the film?

BROWN: We had three weeks and two days. They had already booked the location, so they knew they were going to shoot in Harlem. Getting those tasks together in that short amount of time, it was independent film making at its highest level. My thing is it’s always about the script and getting decent performances. It just has to feel real. Logistically it was not the easiest thing to pull off. I think limitations make you a better filmmaker and artist in general.

It was really hard to find the costume designers. It was the weekend before Christmas. The set designers and costume designers had a week to put it together to get that kind of authenticity we had. I hired a bunch of former students to be grips and various different positions because we couldn’t afford experienced crew in a lot of areas.

TFW: Will this be your first Bentonville Film Festival? What are you looking forward to about it?

BROWN: I’ve heard a lot of good things about Bentonville. I had a documentary in Hot Springs Festival, and that was a great experience. I really felt like the people in that community really appreciated filmmaking, less about the hype and more about the substance on the screen. I like looking forward to seeing what it’s all about. I’m glad I can come and check it out.

Photo by Joel Plummer /
Wendell Pierce stars as Dr. Willow, Madame CJ Walker’s caretaker, in The Forever Tree. The film is set in 1919 Harlem, New York City. Madame CJ Walker was historically the first female self-made millionaire in America for her successful cosmetics business.

TFW: What sort of strategy do you bring to directing actors? What is your method?

BROWN: Whatever works. Each actor is different and processes different. I try to learn who these actors are as people. Having a conversation with them and who the characters are and finding a way to get some truthful moments. That’s all I hope for. It’s less about the lines or the big story, it’s about the moments of honesty that feel like they could be genuine. Fortunately, everybody came with this a lot of weight and experience. We didn’t get any rehearsal time, to be honest. Every one got in town the night before. I asked the producers if we could all have dinner together and talk. I asked the actors Olivia Washington and Rae C. White and go sit at a different table and talk with each other and share a secret that nobody else knows about them, or like when they lost their virginity, whatever it could be. So them having that conversation and sharing that one thing, they get on set and they have a unique relationship that I don’t have with them. Even if it’s just that and there’s tension, racial tension between them, there’s also history that they share. If a little bit of that comes out comes out, it matters. It helps.

TFW: I know your work covers a lot of social and political topics. What are some of your goals as an artist? What are you speaking to? Who are you making films for?

BROWN: I want to change the world. There’s a lot of stories that need to be told that aren’t told. That’s why The Forever Tree has the potential to be really impactful. There’s a lot of little brown and black girls who don’t see themselves in that light. So if I can tell stories that teach and elevate and make us a little bit better than we were when we entered the theater.