Interview: ‘Lovers Rock’ Breakout Star Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn On Making Her Film Feature Debut, The Importance of Black Love On- Screen & More
Lovers Rock starring newcomer Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn and Michael Ward is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and it is an experience you do not want to miss.
The film is part of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology series which is comprised of five original films (including Mangrove starring Letitia Wright) and is set from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s. The films tell personal stories from London’s West Indian community, whose lives have been shaped by their own force of will despite rampant racism and discrimination.
Lovers Rock tells a fictional story of young love at a Blues party in 1980. In honor of the film’s release, I had the chance to sit down with the star of the film, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn.
During the conversation, we spoke about this being her on-screen debut and what that process was like working with Steve McQueen. Since the film takes place all in one night, she spoke about what the filming was like, and how authentic and fun the party scenes were. St. Aubyn also highlighted the importance of seeing young Black love on screen and her hopes that young girls feel represented in the romance genre.
Check out the interview below:
Lovers Rock Synopsis
Lovers Rock tells a fictional story of young love at a Blues party in 1980. The film is an ode to the romantic reggae genre called “Lovers Rock” and to the Black youth who found freedom and love in its sound in London house parties, when they were unwelcome in white nightclubs. Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn makes her screen debut opposite the BAFTAs 2020 Rising Star award recipient Micheal Ward (Top Boy).
Shaniqua Okwok (Boys), Kedar Williams-Stirling (Sex Education), Ellis George (Dr. Who), Alexander James-Blake (Top Boy), and Kadeem Ramsay (Blue Story) also star, as well as Francis Lovehall and Daniel Francis-Swaby who make their screen debuts. Lovers Rock was co-written by Courttia Newland and Steve McQueen.
