My last webseries review was... I don't even know anymore. I didn't have time to sit down and watch anything, but "Dreaming Whilst Black" shook my muse and swept away my urge to procrastinate. So this is the first time I write a review before season 1 of a web series is even fully available. Created by Adjani Salmon, "Dreaming Whilst Black" is a comedy about the daily life of Kwabena (and it's pronounced exactly as it reads kwa-ben-a), a twenty year old film enthusiast dreaming of becoming a director. Having neither the finances nor the network, he hesitates to take up the challenge of making his first film. And when he falls in love, he finds himself faced with crucial choices. Not to mention the fact that he's black. The micro-aggressions he suffers at work and in his love life are depicted here with "humour".

This series is actually about the Black European experience and not just the Afrocaribbean experience in Europe. I say Afrocaribbean because, at this point of time in my life, I’m very sensitive about the fact that US and European pop culture is partly built on the back of Caribbean culture without being recognized for it. My latest example is the Netflix version of "She's Gotta Have It", I have to write about it by the way. So for the record, Kwabena is of Jamaican origin, like Adjani Salmon who plays this character. His Caribbeaness is not at the center of the plot at all, but it does exist. His scenes with his family are funny as much as they are awkward. "Dreaming Whilst Black" highlights ordinary issues of the millennials and above all offers a nuanced representation of masculinity.

Kwabena is the "boy-next-door". His natural awkwardness makes his character authentic. I mean episode 6 "Head in the clouds", from which the front page photo is taken, celebrates Black love in a way that I've never seen before. I only have one word for you "onesie"! Simple but effective, the production is enhanced by the quality of image and sound. In short, I love it! And you know that I don't use these words lightly. If you wish to see the entire web series and ask questions to the team, meet me on April 22nd at 6pm at Hasard Ludique.

Site officiel + Instagram: @dreamingwhilstblack

Twitter: DWBseries

This article was first published on myinsaeng.com on April 18th 2018. You can read the French original version here.

[English review] "Dreaming Whilst Black"