Peer Review: Marleaux Desire

Who are three contemporaries that you admire?

Kid Art was a director and a rapper. That’s a path very similar to my own. He inspired me not to shy away from pursuing both skills and even to cross them together.

For me, film goes beyond entertainment; it’s a way of exploring the human condition. 

Kahlil Joseph's creative concepts in his music videos, especially in Hip Hop, opened my eyes to different ways of capturing artists in music videos; his film Until The Quiet Comes changed my whole perspective on what a music visual can be.

Arthur Jafa's way of repurposing archival footage was a style of editing I had been doing as a hobby not knowing he even created that lane.

Each one of these creators has been very influential to me since I was a young'n'.  

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great direction.

Children of Men (2006), Enter The Void (2009), and Babel (2006). 

One day I'm immortalising legends, another day of the week I'm just with the locals.

For me, film goes beyond entertainment; it’s a way of exploring the human condition. Each one of these films taps into very deep emotional and even spiritual aspects, all captured with great execution. To me, that is top-level directing. The type of sh*t people will study on college courses.

What do you like most about the work that you do?

One thing I like most about the work I do is how beautiful & raw it feels. I think it's extremely easy to make things look pretty and polished. You just have to follow the rules pretty much, but it's more of a challenge to make something feel pretty while still gritty. I like to embrace the beauty of imperfections in the work I do.

Every director needs to leave their ego at the door when collaborating.

What has your career journey been like so far?

I think my career journey is very unhinged. I feel like an anomaly at times.

I can recall moments where I’ve wrapped big-budget commercial sets with enormous cast and crew overseas, just to hop back on a flight to Baltimore to film with “underground” artists with zero budget, just me and my camera. One day I'm immortalising legends, another day of the week I'm just with the locals.

Above: Desire references the death scene from Enter The Void.

What is one thing every director needs?

Every director needs to have their own individual taste and vision. I think it’s fine to pull from references for inspiration, but you shouldn't have to depend on other people's ideas to get your vision across. Also, every director needs to leave their ego at the door when collaborating. THAT'S REAL.

We all have to find new creative ways to keep up with people's attention spans, while still effectively telling our stories.

Did you have a mentor? Who was it?

Nah. I never had a “real” mentor in the traditional sense. But I’ve always looked to my fellow homies and creative collaborators for advice, whether that be about art or just life in general.

Above: Desire celebrates this scene from Babel (2006).