Homewood native Will Feagins Jr. graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1993, “only to end up working at Pizza Hut.”
Several jobs and a decade and a half later, Feagins secured a full-time graphic designer job in 2008, and the following year he relocated to Atlanta with his employer.
“The move to Atlanta helped my career by forcing me to start over as far as my network and to reinvent myself. I was primarily doing graphic design work before I relocated and was just starting to get back into videography,” said Feagins, 47.
It was in Atlanta where he officially started wfjrFILMS. In 2014, when Feagins was creating a documentary about independent male hip-hop artists, he received a lot of feedback from women about not bring heard. So, he created “The Possibility of Her.”
“‘The Possibility of Her’ was my way of saying I was listening and showing my support for women of color,” he said.
The Pittsburgh Westinghouse graduate sat down with 12 women “who are actively involved in non-traditional careers or passions.” This 86-minute documentary is a powerful compilation of female testimony, the hurdle and hustle of working women of color. Initially released in 2017, “The Possibility of Her” is a learning experience for all genders, embodying the meaning of inclusivity.
From a tattoo artist to a firefighter, this documentary burns a beautiful spotlight on the power and passion that a woman possesses. Each woman, with their own different paths and professions, still has one thing in common—a sense of accomplishment despite the forces against them. Whereas many might believe that the color of their skin would be the biggest deterrent, it’s actually a battle of the sexes in their male-dominated fields.
“The Possibility of Her” is an eclectic array of beautiful women with interesting, compelling stories. I saw a little bit of myself in every subject, and it was easy to identify with their truths.
As fact sheets scattered throughout the documentary about the record-breaking number of Black female entrepreneurs, the first Black female tattoo artist, and more, it was concrete evidence that Black women are continuing to dominate.
It is important for little Black girls in Pittsburgh to see “The Possibility of Her.” It promotes positivity, self-confidence, and self-esteem. The documentary is also a conversational piece. I watched it with my 12-year-old and she had a lot of questions. Answering her questions and having a healthy conversation about “The Possibility of Her” is exactly why its imagery is so important.
For anyone who plans to watch “The Possibility of Her,” Feagins wants viewers to take away just two things: “respect women, especially women of color, and not be dismissive of their dreams, goals, and aspirations.”
The documentary has been screened at 11 film festivals and won four awards: Silver Award Winner at the 2018 Spotlight Documentary Awards; Third Place for “Best Documentary Feature” for the 2018 Black Laurel Films Awards; Best Documentary at the 2018 Content Creators of Atlanta Awards; and Third-Place “Documentary Feature” fat the 2018 Capital City Black Film Festival.
“The Possibility of Her” is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray, and can be purchased at www.wfjrfilms.com.
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