The series I've always wanted to see

24.09.2024 | Black Fruit @ Filmfest Hamburg

Daniel Hernandez and Lamin Leroy Gibba on the set of "Black Fruit" © Maischa Souaga

There's a lot of Hamburg in here: In June 2024, the series "Black Fruit" celebrated its world premiere at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival in New York. On 3 October, six of the eight episodes can be seen as a German premiere at Filmfest Hamburg with a four-hour mega event including Q&A. The series was filmed entirely in the Hanseatic city. Creator, showrunner, head writer and lead actor Lamin Leroy Gibba also grew up in Hamburg - and takes a look at the realities of life for black and queer people in "Black Fruit".

"For me, 'Black Fruit' is the series that I've always wanted to see but that hasn't existed before. A series with a very unique tone that places complex queer and black characters at the centre of the story. Of course, racism is also part of the story, but only as one aspect of the many different aspects that characterise the realities of the characters' lives," says Lamin Leroy Gibba;

He grew up in Hamburg, played theatre at an early age and was enthusiastic about the world of film. To turn his hobby into a career, he moved to the New School University in New York in 2014 to study film and acting. This is also where the first ideas for "Black Fruit" were born. "My time in New York really shaped me. It was inspiring to experience how Black Script Writers and actors realised projects there as a matter of course and also had a space to do so - which was rarely or never the case in Germany. At university, we were constantly encouraged to write our own plays. I also wrote my first feature film script during my studies," reveals the 30-year-old;

Lamin Leroy Gibba as Lalo © Maischa Souaga

After returning to Germany in 2019, work on Black Fruit" slowly picked up speed and Gibba continued to develop the story. With the project folder, he approached the young production company Jünglinge Film, which quickly accepted the project. With funding from MOIN, the first Writers Room took place for around three weeks in 2021. In addition to Gibba, the team also included Lisa Tracy Michalik, Naomi Kelechi Odhiambo, Sarah Claire Wray and Sophia Ayissi. "Each of us has a different background and was able to incorporate this into the story. Thanks to the financial support of the MOIN Film Fund at this early stage, we had a lot of time to sharpen the vision of the series and work on the story," says Gibba. Studio Zentral as co-production company and ARD Degeto as client also joined the project early on. They also believed in the material and Gibba's vision for the series. "Black Fruit" is about Lalo (played by Lamin Leroy Gibba), who is in his mid-twenties and is thrown off course by the sudden death of his father. He tries to repress his loss by rushing into action - but not only does his own life fall apart, but also that of his closest friends.

Lamin Leroy Gibba with Daniel Hernandez © Maischa Souaga

For filming in 2023, they decided to take an unusual approach: in order to find a large part of the film crew, the team launched corresponding calls on social media. "It was very important to us that the black, POC, queer and female perspectives in front of the camera are also significantly represented behind the camera. Due to structural discrimination against filmmakers with marginalised perspectives, you naturally have to look outside the circle of already established people in the film and television industry. For many of our team, like myself, "Black Fruit" was the first time they had held certain positions within a television series. There's a great energy created by their involvement. The perspective knowledge and passion of the individual trades has enriched the series so much," says Lamin Leroy Gibba;

Behind the scenes: Lamin Leroy Gibba, Nebou N'Diaye and Simon Kluth with make-up artist Lucia Binta Lammertmann © Maischa Souaga

Directors Elisha Smith-Leverock and David Uzochukwu filmed 48 days in Hamburg in the summer of 2023 - and over 70 locations! Even though many of the main locations were shot in St. Pauli, Altona, the Schanze and Volksdorf also made it into the series. "We show the city in a way that I don't think has ever been seen before in other series," says Gibba;

The series was very well received by audiences at the world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, meaning that a future broadcast abroad is within reach. But until then, the first six episodes of "Black Fruit" will celebrate their German premiere at Filmfest Hamburg. The complete series will be available in the ARD Mediathek from 18 October.