In March 2020, interdisciplinary artist and poet Julianknxx visited his birthplace of Freetown, Sierra Leone for the first time since he fled with his family from the civil war at nine years old. It was this homecoming journey that crystallised the conception of his film: In Praise of Still Boys.
In Praise Of Still Boys is a reexamination of the artist’s childhood, told through the lives of young Sierra Leonean boys who live by the blue waters of the Atlantic ocean. The film is an exploration of belonging, loss and inheritance. By critically engaging with language and history, Julianknxx enacts a process of reconciliation and healing for both himself and a collective experience.
Watch In Praise of Still Boys in a special exhibition at Dazed Live.