Stephen Sawyerr’s electric short film centres on a karate dojo in Harlem’s Little Senegal

Stephen Sawyerr’s new short film began by trying to uncover “pockets of West African diaspora in New York”, and seeking out stories that he could tell with his camera. Himself of half Sierra Leonean heritage, Stephen and his producer, Jahir Strong, spent a long summer in Harlem, especially its Little Senegal district. After meeting various people, one person in particular stood out to Stephen: sensei Diéo, a woman who co-led a karate dojo out of a local Senegalese community centre. From this encounter, Stephen created the short film, How Can Not!, a striking and playful meditation on the significance of community, organised sport and perseverance.

Before Stephen embarks on any new project, he says one thing is key – the story has to “excite” him. “It needs a strong backbone and integrity because, in a time where attention is scarce, I want to make sure people feel something when they watch a film,” he says. This was certainly the case with Diéo’s story, a woman who had overcome cultural norms to become a respected leader in her chosen sport. “I resonated strongly with Diéo because I was able to connect her story of sacrifice and perseverance with the Black women in my life,” says Stephen. “Having lived in London, New York, and Freetown, Sierra Leone, I’ve been able to see the uniqueness of different cultures, and I knew this story was worth telling.”

Born and raised in West London, growing up Stephen went to school in both Sierra Leone and England, something that exposed him to “different cultures and ways of living”. He remembers his love for filmmaking being sparked by watching MTV’s many channels and seeing music videos, especially ones from Missy Elliot and Jay-Z’s Izzo. Soon, Stephen also became a fan of the works of Spike Lee and Wes Anderson, but his all-time favourite film is Adam McKay’s The Big Short, for its “satirical undertones”, something Stephen now tries to embrace in all of his projects.

Once Stephen has the foundation for the story, he begins a process of research, exploring the film’s immediate environment while also digging into his vast bank of visual references, from animations and stock footage, to old fashion magazines and HBO shows. “Authenticity comes naturally when I use what’s actually around me, and then I layer it with my unique acquired taste and style,” Stephen says. In How Can Not!, which is made in collaboration with the production company Like June, this authenticity is generated by Stephen not just focusing on the interior of the dojo, but the street it sits on too – capturing the bustling energy of Little Senegal and placing it in contrast to the concentrated calm of the dojo.

But what really makes the film stand out is the animated typography and illustrations that bounce across its surface, all in time with specific quotes from the interviews, including the catchy title, How Can Not!. This element was a natural inclusion, as Stephen tells us he has a passion for fonts and animation – his phone’s photo library is brimming with found type and colour schemes he’s snapped from posters, shop signs, billboards and more. Finished with a rough, hand-drawn quality, the illustrated elements enhance the nostalgic feel of the film, looking hand picked from 90s cartoons, or one of Stephen’s beloved Spike Lee films. “It’s a fun and easy way for me to express myself, and nothing excites me more than a bold, awkward colour scheme,” says Stephen. “For me, the big takeaway is to not hold back on taste.”

Now, Stephen also sees How Can Not! as an important preservation of places like Little Senegal, “as many people aren’t aware of these African micro-communities across the Western world”, he says. “It feels good to introduce people to something new and inspire them to keep thriving.” He would also love for How Can Not! and the inspiring ethos of Diéo that runs through it, to afford viewers with a few life lessons – like the importance of sticking with your passion, and running with it.