(bright music) (dramatic music) - Welcome to "TV Film."

I'm Jermaine Wells.

"TV Film" showcases the talents of Upstate New York media-makers across all genres.

In this episode, we present three personal stories by young filmmakers.

The first film is a short, poetic documentary which challenges how curly hair is perceived in the Dominican community.

"Mis Rizos" is directed by Anne Fernandez.

- I cut my hair all off now, but I used to have this big curly fro.

And growing up, it wasn't seen as like desirable in my family and my community.

This was like the first time where it was like a documentary where I was actually talking about myself.

And since then, all my films have been about my experience.

It's almost like therapeutic for me to talk about my experiences in my films.

So then I like heal as I do my films.

I showed it to my family, and a lot of like close family, friends, and stuff.

They're like, "Oh, my God, my mom has said that to me too."

Like, it's a lot of, like, things that people have heard growing up that they've just never seen in movies.

Like they thought it was just like their family that says it, but it's like, no, it's like all Dominicans that say this or all Hispanics say this.

I hope that the relationship between parents and their kids who have curly hair, you can come to an understanding of how to love your hair.

(speaking in foreign language) These spirals in my hair don't come from my ancestors.

(gentle music) In my family, they have a saying, if they were to light a match next to my hair, it would catch on fire.

(soft percussive music) (speaking in foreign language) But what constitutes bad hair?

Is there such a concept?

Been just holding our Old World thinking in place, the continuous iron of oppression.

Dominican hair salons, famous for their ability to get every kink out of every curl for this.

(gentle music) (speaking in foreign language) A hair so straight, you can run your fingers through it without getting smothered by your native African ancestor's love.

Our ancestors passing down these white Eurocentric beauty standards.

Something I hope to break.

(gentle music) My mother loves me, but not my hair, our hair, our Dominican hair.

(soft somber music) Hair we were born with, passed down to us.

Hair that I nurture on a weekend afternoon.

A part of a culture that says to love ourselves but not every part.

(gentle percussive music) (speaking in foreign language) However much my parents don't want me to, even though I know they mean well.

(gentle percussive music) - In the next film, Jedi Kang tells the story of one man's quest to find meaning in life, "Mr.

Sisyphus."

- So I was like biking with my dad.

Then he used to take me to this hill.

He had me like record him trying to get up this hill, right?

But he just couldn't get it, like every time we went there.

So I was like, "Hey, that's kind of like the myth of Sisyphus," like trying to roll this hill, roll this rock up the hill.

I think all Koreans kind of grew up with like Greek myths because there used to be a popular TV program and like a cartoon series, like a comic book series that everyone kind of grew up on.

It was just me and my dad making this.

All the tracking shots were just me with a gimbal, just running around.

I guess that is just kind of how I see my dad.

He was always goofing around when I was growing up, me and my little brother.

I think like he went up the hill like 40 times or something within this shoot.

So he got better at climbing this hill.

So we finally got it at the end.

(pencil scratching) (objects clicking) (speaking in foreign language) (clock ticking) (bell ringing) (motor roars) (speaking in foreign language) (man grunting) (man thuds) (wheel whirring) (man groaning) (speaking in foreign language) (rewind whirring) (clock ticking) (speaking in foreign language) (drum tapping) (speaking in foreign language) (drum tapping) (speaking in foreign language) (drum tapping) (speaking in foreign language) (water swooshing) (speaking in foreign language) (drum tapping) (speaking in foreign language) (drum tapping) (man groaning) (speaking in foreign language) (man groans) (speaking in foreign language) (man sighs) (man groaning) (drum tapping) (rock music) (speaking in foreign language) (lively guitar music) (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) (upbeat jazz music) (record scratching) (gentle music) (speaking in foreign language) (upbeat jazz music) (book thuds) (electronic music) (car whizzing) (man shouting) (car whizzing) (man grunting) - [Man] Whoo!

(speaking in foreign language) (man grunting) (speaking in foreign language) (drum tapping) (man grunting) (drum tapping) (speaking in foreign language) (upbeat music) (wheel clacking) (whip cracks) (bell dings) (dramatic music) (man grunts) (man groans) (speaking in foreign language) (man groans) (speaking in foreign language) (drum thumping) (man grunting) (bell ringing) (object beeping) (wind howling) (horse neighing) (speaking in foreign language) (gentle music) (man grunting) (uplifting music) Whoo!

(panting) (man shouting) (speaking in foreign language) (paper thuds) (clock ticking) (speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music) (whip cracks) (whip cracks) - Finally, Daysia Lenee Hiller shares the heartfelt story of her aunt Sheena's bond she had with her beloved dog in the film "Redi Love."

- "Redi Love" is about my aunt and her dog.

My aunt Sheena is known in the family for her love of dogs.

They go everywhere she goes.

They have their own strollers.

She dresses them up.

So like they're like actual children to her.

So I'm a fellow in the Youth FX Upstate Arts2Work Fellowship.

So I decided to interview my aunt Sheena because even though she's my aunt, I only knew her as aunt Sheena, not just Sheena as the person.

So talking to her really brought us even closer together to actually learn things about her that I never knew.

Like while I was filming her, I not only learned about Redi and Myilo, but I learned about things in her life that I had no idea.

So it was a super enriching process.

It was definitely an emotional experience for her, which one I had to kind of do with caution 'cause I didn't wanna exploit her.

I was always grateful and appreciative for her, but her not only like putting herself on display and her emotions to help me create this film, but actually speaking to her made me realize just how grateful I am to have her in my life.

When I create pieces, I want it to be an experience for people.

I want them to be able to feel everything I felt.

My goal is to create things for people that they can watch it and they can relate it to themselves.

Or even when they turn it off, they still think about it.

I want it to linger.

(chimes ringing) - When did I get Redi?

I got Redi over 12 years ago.

He was eight when I got him.

My niece gave him to, well, she said he needs some TLC for two weeks.

Then she never came back and got him.

(chuckles) So I had him for like, Redi was 18 going on 19 when he passed.

That was my son.

That was my sons' brothers.

They all brothers.

He was a part of the family, like this guy, human.

He was a human with four legs.

Then when I lost him, my nieces pushed this little guy on me.

I didn't want another dog 'cause that's a hurtful feeling.

That's like losing a child.

But I wind up taking him.

I thought about it.

So we said, "We'll give it a try."

Me and Myilo clicked instantly.

Just him being up under us, and being held, and have someone to be with him every day, all day, this dog latched to us.

Me and that boy, now we are unseparable, huh?

'Cause he knows I love him.

And I take care of him.

I find him staring at Redi's pictures, you know, or my hanging up there.

You know, Redi was a show dog in Florida.

Redi was Redi Love.

Redi loved the ladies.

Redi Love.

As far as losing my Redi, it was the weirdest day.

No, it wasn't weird day.

It was a happy day 'cause he got up, and he played with me, and then he played with Josh, my son, and then he ate his breakfast.

He went out, and he went to the bathroom, and everything.

He came back in and he played, and he played, and he played like any other day.

(chimes ringing) And then he acted like he was gonna throw up.

I took him outside and he walked, next he walked up the street.

And when he got next door, he stopped, and I figured, you know, he just wanted to get some sun.

He wanna chill.

I don't rush him, but he didn't wanna get back up.

And Mook was my younger son, was leaving for work.

And I told him, "He won't get up."

And he looked at me and said, "Mom, he's old."

And Mook went on and he watched, I watched.

And that was it with Redi.

He didn't suffer.

He laid in our arms and he lift his head enough to lick my face.

Then I hand him to Josh.

He lift his head and licked Josh's face.

And, you know, then I wrapped him in his little blanket and I just held him, and he kept his paw right here on me.

(chimes ringing) Well, all of a sudden, he got down, and he was standing up and wagging his tail, but he was looking in the sky.

We thought he was all right.

You know, maybe his stomach was hurting.

And he laid down again.

Then he got up and did it again, looking in the sky and happy!

And me and Josh said, "He sees somebody who coming to get him."

And that was it.

He was gone.

He just laid in my arms with his paw right on my heart.

And he left.

(chimes ringing) That feeling was like losing my father and my brother all over again.

You know, that's that feeling, where it just, I didn't wanna let 'em go.

And that they suggested cremation, and that gave me hope.

It wasn't so hard then because I was getting them back.

You know, I wasn't getting them the way I gave them to him but I would have him forever.

You know, where I said, he gonna go in my casket when I die.

You know, I even made plants with his ashes.

Some of his ashes, these was, this was a little plant, very little.

(chimes ringing) But I keep Redi right here.

That's Redi there.

And he stays out.

He's always with us.

I'm at peace with it now, you know.

I am so glad that he enjoyed his life.

He had all the love a animal could ever want, could ever endure.

You know, he was Redi Love.

Everyone loved Redi Love.

He was just so lovable, very smart, and loved to swim.

And that's the Florida in him, the show dog in him, he rode the waves.

He was an excellent show dog.

And he retired in my arms and he had a good life.

He was my company.

He kept me going.

'Cause there was a lot of times where depression is no joke.

And I tell you, that dog, he, like, he knew every feeling I had.

He kept me happy and I kept him happy.

You know, and my boys loved, the whole family, he just became Redi Love.

You couldn't help but love him.

And he always with us.

We even slip up and call Myilo Redi, 'cause there's a, we see a lot of Redi in Myilo.

He's changing, you know?

He watches Redi's pictures, and we wonder if Redi is reincarnated in him or is he, or telling him what to do?

'Cause he's like a baby to Redi. '

Cause many a times he'll get into things.

And then he come running in here like he's scared, and he'll keep looking and we laugh, and say Redi told him to go there and sit his ass down.

(laughs) You can't, you know, if you a person of God, you can't help but love everything and everyone, you know, regardless.

Everything needs love and touch.

And I love that boy.

But I also keep preparing myself for death, if he go before me, yeah, I just look at it as just that boy is just going on home.

He free.

Huh?

And I'll see you later.

(chimes ringing) Are you the love of my life right now?

You and my boys, the Lord, and my mom.

(chimes ringing) - Learn more about the films and filmmakers in this season of "TV Film" at wmht.org/tvfilm.

And be sure to connect with WMHT on social media.

I'm Jermaine Wells.

(dramatic music) - [Announcer] "TV Film" is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.