Bio

Darol Olu Kae

Darol Olu Kae (b. 1984, Los Angeles) is an artist and filmmaker from and based in Los Angeles. His practice combines narrative, documentary, and experimental modes of filmmaking to explore themes such as filiation, tradition, and the creative black Art form that has been labeled ‘jazz’. His collaborative and research-based approach to filmmaking is often inspired by local community histories and the intuitive connections that link the past, present, and future. His work incorporates scripted and improvisational storytelling elements as a way to contemplate the distinction between fact and fiction, blurring traditional notions of narrative and documentary cinema and challenging the medium to express the profound lyricism and complexity of black life and culture. He has collaborated with visionary filmmakers such as Kahlil Joseph (BLKNWS), A.G. Rojas (Godchild), and Vincent Haycock (Play God). His own film work has screened at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, CA (2019) and L’Etna in Paris, France (2020).