The acclaimed filmmaker C Prinz and actor, musician, and writer Jeremy Pope first connected during the pandemic. Four years later, in 2024, their conversations about queer sexuality, race, spirituality, and gender at that time have coalesced in the form of a thought-provoking short film, titled God Is Good, which arrives in the wake of Pope’s debut EP, LAST NAME: POPE. On Friday (October 11), that film was screened at Tate Modern’s Starr Cinema, in an event presented by SMUGGLER, with C Prinz and Jeremy Pope themselves in attendance. Here’s what went down.
GOD IS GOOD TOOK THE SPOTLIGHT...
Directed by C Prinz, and written and acted by Jeremy Pope, with choreography by Parris Goebel, God Is Good intertwines memoir, monologue, surrealism, and expressionistic dance in a 20-minute exploration of deeply personal themes, creating a visual narrative to go alongside Pope’s music. Don’t just take it from us, though. “This film is a two-minute sketch turned twenty-minute opus and a lawless plunge into genre-bending filmmaking,” says C Prinz. “It embodied a creative process I will continue to chase for the rest of my life.”
IT DREW INSPIRATION FROM REAL EXPERIENCES, AND DEREK JARMAN
Themes of identity, spirituality, and masculinity collide in God Is Good, drawing on Pope’s own experiences as a Black, queer man living in America, raised by a preacher and professional bodybuilder. Filmed entirely in black and white, the various performances in the film offer a raw reflection of his personal struggle with internalised homophobia, vulnerability, and faith, while intense flashes of Yves Klein blue heighten the film’s sensual and emotional resonance, with a nod to the iconic work of Derek Jarman.
C PRINZ AND JEREMY POPE DUG DEEPER INTO THE MAKING OF THE FILM
With the director and writer both on hand at the event, for a conversation moderated by Jason Okundaye, we got to hear plenty of insights about the background of the film, including the challenges of filming on a limited budget across Latvia and Estonia, their sensitivity toward exploring religious subjects, the “vulnerable” shift from dance to narrative art, and the need to find humour in hard conversations. As Pope said: “Levity is the only way I’ve known to survive.”
BESPOKE ART PIECES WERE ON SHOW
Alongside the film itself, a number of artistic objects were on show, from clothes and accessories curated by film stylist Marko Vrbos, to a hard drive containing a complete film archive, suspended in resin by SMUGGLER and artist Sabine Marcelis. Elsewhere, there was a Pope/Prinz dumbbell set (also courtesy of SMUGGLER) and a UV print by Janis Dzirnieks.
A DAZED CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER WAS THERE TO CAPTURE IT ALL
For those who couldn’t make it along to the event, Dazed Club photographer Cassia Agyeman was there to document the whole thing. Take a look in the gallery above.