Continuing to stay original and true to yourself is one of the aims that Marissa Mireles Hinds, Founder of Creative Until Death has set for herself this year. Also known as sanseriif, Marissa, is a London based Afro-Latin American filmmaker, writer, poet and creative consultant.

Working with companies like Facebook, BBC, Netflix, Somerset House & Barbican Centre, Marissa's inspiring work has reached people already. Growth and impacting more people with her work is key to Marissa driving her to continue sharing her thoughts throughout lockdown in a range of different projects.

Marissa feeling of the black community missing leading voices like the MLK's and Maya Angelou's of the world inspired the creation of, 'Why Are All Our Prophet's Dead', a poetry short film. The strong voice and powerful words share the frustrations and hurt of the impactful black icons that came before us.

We spoke to Marissa about the inspiration behind her film, her goals for the year and the feature of Creative Until Death.

Where did you get the inspiration for your poetry film, ‘Why Are All Our Prophets Dead‘?

I would say the inspiration for this film came from an earnest question that I wanted to ask my community and on behalf of my people to the western world at large. I want to know where our modern-day MLK's, Huey P Newton's, Malcolm X's, Maya Angelou's and Tupac's are. I feel the black community is missing important voices and actors of real change because our leaders have been systematically erased from our textbooks or snuffed out by the government too early, too soon. It's a kind of a mournful question but also filled with hope. Because if we can be aware enough as a community to understand our past, we can change our futures together in long term, meaningful ways.

young fists raised / mouths wide agape at the horror -
wordsmiths from the street sing trauma,                   
with grit in their teeth like being curb stomped in the street
our black cadence in rhythm with our black reality,
         (an obsidian tapestry
               sewn masterfully by erudite hands still
                       shaking from ancestral ptsd.)

How do you feel the BLM events last year inspired black creatives in the UK and affected their work?

I think one thing I noticed is that kind of forced artists of colour with a platform to go out and have a voice even if it meant it could jeopardize roles or commercial work by the white corporate establishment that usually hired them, people like Boyega and Anthony Joshua. I think it showed people of colour in the UK how bad it was in America, making black creatives take a hard look at their place within British society and there was a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood that radiated into the work they produced, into their workplaces, into panel talks and podcasts and it exploded as it created a meaningful and I think pretty long term conversation around race, police and racist government and corporate policies. Also, I think it inspired people to look at their universities, universities which had profited off the slave trade for hundreds of years, so we saw statues coming down and more inclusivity resulting from the work of young black men and women.


our martyrs, a bygone symbol, 
   a broken down cotton gin.
           their absence leaves an impression
a haunting, a lynching, a ghost.
          a dry river bed.
   six feet deep and dressed in their Sunday’s best
       we throw handfuls of cracked dirt
  onto our murdered brethren.



What advice do you have for those looking to get into writing and sharing poetry?

One thing that comes to mind is knowing that poetry and writing are meant to be shared. The act of writing is an act of release, so naturally one should try to overcome the fear of rejection because one of the saddest things is a great poem that is never read due to the fear of the writer. It's irrational! Just do it. That is something I had to overcome in my late teens and early twenties before then I never shared my writing. Also, to always stay connected to your child self. Imagination is key to invention. And lastly, to write is to edit, to edit is to write.


What do you hope to achieve this year with your work?

I hope to reach as many people as possible with my films, to change perspectives and make an impact on people's lives with my work. A feeling of being understood, or seen. To continue to be original and myself without compromising. I also hope to fully launch my business and complete some projects I have had in the works for a while. Many good things await and I am heading towards them with a smile.





What are your aims with your 'Creative Until Death' production company?

To change the industry through investment in communities of colour, to make Hollywood inclusive and representative of the entire world, to invent new technologies or ways of working and to create classics in everything ranging from Horror to Documentary. You know, not much.

WORDS BY OLIVIA KELLERMAN