Written and directed by Baz Sells, co-written by Ben Jackson and Dean Atta, based on Atta’s poem of the same name. Edan and Dula navigate love, identity, and self-acceptance on a journey about coming into oneself and out to the world. Confronting fear, shame, and societal expectations, the boys rediscover a sense of belonging in their own paradise, in this celebration of queer love, vulnerability, and the power of embracing who you are. Narrated by Jordan Stephens.
As Two Black Boys in Paradise opens it quickly brings to mind how accustomed we still are to hearing British voices using the Queen’s English, or Received Pronunciation, like Stephen Fry, Helen Mirren or David Attenborough, and how it remains refreshing to have more voices with everyday British accents from across the nation. Particularly with northern accents but also in this case with Jordan Stephens’ Northwest London via Sussex accent. It helps to bring a bigger gentleness and relatability to his narration and the atmosphere of the film.
Something that’s nicely matched by the animation style, and direction from Baz Sells. There’s a really interesting texture to aesthetic and there’s a terrific use of colour. It has a certain 2000s touch to it and the tone almost taps into classic children’s television. In the sense that it’s going for that style of sensitiveness, curiosity and an inquisitive air, while delivering a difficult message. It taps into a strong note of fear and sadness which is then balanced by its love story, making it ultimately sweet and quite sentimental which is an interesting contrast to its rather harsh tale of homophobia and racism.
As it is built upon that extremely emotional foundation, it’s served extremely well by the score from Jasper Dent, Adam Grigg and Lanre Diko (RéY). They strongly tap into that vulnerability, swaddling the story in that feeling of a first love with all its tenderness and hope. Again, it’s interesting to see that juxtaposed with the prejudice of the story, giving Sells, Ben Jackson and Dean Atta the ability to instil that idea of the power of love in the face of hate and the need to shut it out and focus on what truly matters.
The only outlier is the choice to add a sexual component, it feels at odds with the otherwise family friendly tone of Two Black Boys in Paradise. Although you can certainly see the filmmakers’ intentions to portray a genuinely queer love story and not hold back or censor itself as others have so often done in the past, with so many being disappointingly hesitant to fully explore a gay relationship.
Two Black Boys in Paradise is a sweet, touching exploration of love persevering in spite of bigotry and prejudice. It’s extremely well animated to create an aesthetic that matches its emotional nature and feels inherently British, with a nostalgic edge. The story is moving and has a lovely message, it’s well supported by the narration, score and writing. It can feel a touch too sweet or sentimental at times, and its sexual side and nudity clash with the overall atmosphere but it’s a well-made, thoughtful, heartfelt short film.
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