Priya Ahluwalia has collaborated with film director, Samona Olanipekun, to create Ahluwalia’s first short film, “Joy”, which is part documentary, part fly on the wall, and part fashion film.

Joy is a kaleidoscopic love story that celebrates the “everyday beauty and strength of the Black existence” and features community leaders, matriarchs, poets, athletes, and political activists. The film is a snapshot of Black liberation through Afro-Caribbean rituals, something of importance to both Ahluwalia and Olanipekun who both have Nigerian heritage.

Through Joy, rituals so important to Black communities such as food, hair, sports, and church are explored and celebrated in nuanced ways. Frequent Ahluwalia collaborator Troy Casting worked with Ahluwalia and Olanipekun to find a wide array of people from London’s Black community and Ahluwalia’s personal network to bring important experiences, thoughts, and actions to life in this beautiful short-film, presented at #GucciFest.