Cecile Emeke facts for kids

Cecile Emeke (pronounced ə-MEE-kay) is a British filmmaker, writer, and artist. She was born in London and has family roots from Jamaica and England. She is well-known for her online documentary series called Strolling. She also created a short film that became a web series, Ackee & Saltfish. Her work has been featured by news outlets around the world. In 2015, Broadcast magazine named her one of their "Hot Shots," recognizing her as a rising talent.

Cecile Emeke's Creative Journey

Early Films and Web Series

In 2014, Cecile Emeke directed a short film called Ackee & Saltfish. This film follows two friends, Olivia and Rachel, played by Michelle Tiwo and Vanessa Babirye. They walk around East London trying to find the traditional Jamaican salted cod dish that gives the film its name. This popular short film was later turned into a web series in February 2015.

The Strolling Series

Also in 2014, Emeke launched the first episode of her web series Strolling on YouTube. In this documentary series, Emeke walks around the streets of London with Black men and women. They have conversations about many different topics. These include personal identity, everyday life, and how communities change.

After the success of the British Strolling series, Emeke took the same idea to other countries. She wanted to talk with people from the African diaspora (people of African descent living outside of Africa).

• In February 2015, she launched Flâner in Paris, France. This series featured French people discussing their culture and experiences.
• Later, in September 2015, Emeke started Wandelen. This series focused on Black Dutch people in Amsterdam and London. They talked about their culture, immigration, and traditions like Black Pete.
• In October of the same year, she launched the Italian version, passeggiando. This series explored topics like Italian colonial history and Italian citizenship.
• November saw the release of the American version of Strolling. This focused on issues specific to Black America, including different aspects of their culture and experiences.

It's important to note that the Strolling series is no longer available on YouTube, and Emeke's account is no longer active.

Other Works and Collaborations

In October 2014, Emeke released Fake Deep. This was a poem she wrote, performed by several talented actors including Michelle Tiwo, Emma Carryl, Stephanie Levi-John, Naomi Ackie, Nneka Okoye, and Modupe Salu.

In June 2015, Emeke published another short film called Lines. This film was about the songs and lyrics that meant the most to the people she interviewed. In both Fake Deep and Lines, Emeke explored ideas about feminism within the African diaspora.

Cecile Emeke has also worked as a director on popular television shows. She was a director for season one of Issa Rae's series Insecure (TV series). She also worked with actor Idris Elba as a director for the British television series In the Long Run.