The First Time I Tasted Air
Blending myth, memory, and historical reckoning, The First Time I Breathed Air tells the story of two sisters who rise from the ocean’s depths to experience land for the first time. This poetry film is based on the legend of Drexciya; an underwater civilization that is populated with those who drowned at the sea during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
This film is a meditation on diaspora, grief, and the stories we tell to endure the tragedy of loss.
Personal Notes:
When I first spoke with writer Amara Erving about adapting one of her stories into a film, one of the greatest challenges was choosing just one from her remarkable body of work.
“The First Time I Tasted Air” offered a unique opportunity to explore memory and belonging through a narrative blending Fantasy & History.
This production was filmed at historic locations throughout South Florida, a choice that helped shape the film’s poetic atmosphere and the sense of cultural consciousness that gently flows through its narrative.
Written & Directed by Amara Evering
Produced by Amara Evering and Filipi Barbosa
After my sister finished,
She looked up at the sky,
Defiant like the woman in her story.
She told me then that she was tired of living like our ancestors, imprisoned to the water.
“I’m ready to walk on land.” She whispered.
“Come with me.”
Excerpt from “The First Time I Tasted Air”