As a film student, Wayne Byrd wanted to educate others through
his films. Now as a teacher, he’s still trying to do the same
thing.
Stressing an importance of life education through film, Byrd, a
2002 masters of fine arts graduate from the directing program of
UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, will present
two of his short films at the James Bridges Theater this Saturday
at 2 p.m. Byrd will be present at the event and will be available
for a question-and-answer session and a reception following the
screenings.
Currently an English teacher at Westchester High School in Los
Angeles, Byrd hopes some of his students will attend the screenings
and learn from them.
“(Children) have yet to make the mistakes (my characters
make), but some are going in the same direction,” Byrd
said.
Some of Byrd’s students have already seen his films, which
premiered recently as part of the Pan African Film Festival in Los
Angeles. According to Byrd, the films were well-received and his
students and others understood the messages he was trying to relay
through them.
Indeed, in both of the films being screened this weekend, Byrd
has lessons to teach. The first, “A Night At The
Marina,” relays the story of Byrd and a group of his friends
as they were victims of police violence that may have been
race-related. Byrd and the friends involved are all black.
“I made it to give people insight into the mind of the
people who are victimized by the police,” Byrd said. “I
wanted people to feel what we felt.”
Byrd describes the second film, “Pretty Lady,” as a
tragedy that explores the flaws in decision-making. It tells the
story of a woman who suspects her boyfriend of cheating on her and
seeks various forms of revenge. Byrd was inspired to make
“Pretty Lady” after watching some of his friends make
difficult decisions and experience the consequences.
“I’ve seen the pain that gossip, promiscuity and
abortion have caused in people,” Byrd said.
“If you out-wrong someone else, you always lose,”
Byrd added. “Some of my friends still need to learn
this.”
Like “A Night At The Marina,” all of the characters
in “Pretty Lady” are black. While the script was
written as such, Byrd believes the story can be enjoyed by
anyone.
“It’s not meant for a black audience,” Byrd
said. “Anybody can pick up on the humor or universal
themes.”
At one point in the film, the protagonist consults her friends
for advice about what to do about her boyfriend’s infidelity.
In a sort of angel-on-one-shoulder-devil-on-the-other scene, she
gets conflicting advice from a churchgoing friend and one that is
more interested in partying. The protagonist’s choice in who
to follow directly affects the outcome of her situation, a
distinction Byrd ultimately wants to teach anyone who watches his
films, whether it be a friend, student or stranger.
“It’s about choices,” Byrd said. “I want
people to think about the choices they have in life and realize
that their decisions control their lives.”