Zaraah Abrahams Talks Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
Drew Tinnin
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From London, England, to Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Zaraah Abrahams’ career took a major turn after director Spike Lee witnessed her potential star power in one of his students’ thesis films, Black Girl in Paris. Growing up watching and studying Lee’s movies, Abrahams never could have guessed that she would wind up starring as a blood-addicted temptress in Lee’s crowdsourced passion project, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (review).
Speaking with Abrahams, it’s clear she relished the chance to work with big ideas on a small scale during Sweet Blood, a film that plunged her into the role of Ganja Hightower and challenges the viewer to rethink whatever previous perceptions they had of Spike Lee the filmmaker.
DC: Were Spike Lee films around when you came up? When did you see your first Spike Lee film?
ZA: The first Spike Lee film I actually saw was Malcolm X, and then we discussed Do the Right Thing at school. I remember my mom and all her friends talking about Jungle Fever. I’ve started to look into his other films like Crooklyn and Red Hook Summer. So probably from about 12 he became somebody I was hearing lots about.
DC: I like that you mentioned Red Hook Summer since the church in Sweet Blood of Jesus is the same church I think.
ZA: Yeah, it’s fantastic that I’ve jumped into some other films as well, so yeah, it was great.
DC: How have you been describing the film during the rounds of press that you’ve been enduring lately?
ZA: Well, Spike’s been jumping in on that question but … just been describing it as a kind of romantic horror comedy. It kind of ticks all the boxes. It’s a film about addiction and this guy’s struggle to deal with his addiction to blood. And it’s a story about my character, Ganja, who comes in, sees his vulnerability, and they fall in love and they kind of embark on an adventure together, with some gory details in between.
DC: We love the “gory details” at Dread Central, for sure. You’re right, they’re kind of addicted to each other as much as they are to the blood.
ZA: Yeah, they are. When you do have an addiction, whether it be blood or nicotine or whatever it is, you do find solace in somebody else. Then other things become an addiction in order to support whatever you’re going through, and that’s definitely what Ganja and Hess are going through together.
DC: Have you seen Bill Gunn’s film, Ganja & Hess? I actually got to see a print of it years ago and always liked Duane Jones and I think Marlene Clark was very good in it, too.
ZA: I’ve seen it since, but before filming Sweet Blood of Jesus, Spike asked me not to watch it. I still looked at a few clips because I wanted to know the style of the movie and, obviously, where he got his inspiration from. So I wanted a little bit of an inside track; I didn’t want to go in too blind. Since filming I have seen it, yes.
DC: Can you imagine what this film would even look like as a studio funded film? I know it’s a detour for Spike but it’s refreshing to hear his voice loud and clear without any watered-down producer’s notes. He’s funded films early in his career in much the same way that Kickstarter works today.
ZA: To be honest, I don’t know how much they would take out or keep. Obviously, the people that supported us through Kickstarter, I hope that they are happy with the film as Spike’s fan base. I think the film looks absolutely beautiful; we filmed in Martha’s Vineyard. I just think it looks so clean and European, really. I definitely think Spike’s done an incredible job.
DC: Is this a breakout role for you? You’re getting some positive comments about your performance and your presence on screen. But looking at the reviews can be a scary rabbit hole to go down sometimes.
ZA: Yeah, Spike’s good at that though, you know? He’s such a strong support; he gets criticism all the time. He just keeps going and that’s been inspiring for me: to follow what you love to do and make sure your craft is really tight. Then, if you believe in what you do and you’re confident in what you do, then people are always going to have an opinion and you can take things from that, good and bad, and just keep polishing what you do.
DC: Do you think this film is a good date movie? Why should the kids go see Da Sweet Blood of Jesus instead of 50 Shades of Grey? You know your film has to be the sexier of the two.
ZA: They should just go and see it because it’s thought-provoking. There’s romance and sex and comedy in it, but I think it’s a conversation starter as well. Obviously, it’s a bit jumpy so if the women get scared they can, you know… it’s a good thing for the guys because they can comfort their woman, and if it’s a first date, who knows where that might lead to. It’s different than what Spike’s done. That’s his trait; he’s always trying something different and new. If you’re interested in romance and horror and a bit of gore – and history as well – then this is the film to see.
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is now playing at select theaters and is also available for Digital rental at your neighborhood cyber store.
Zaraah Abrahams, Stephen Tyrone Williams, Michael K. Williams, Felicia Pearson, Steven Hauck, and Elvis Nolasco star in the film, which focuses on human beings who are addicted to blood.
Synopsis:
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a new kind of love story, one that centers on an addiction to blood that once doomed a long forgotten ancient African tribe. When Dr. Hess Green is introduced to a mysteriously cursed artifact by art curator Lafayette Hightower, he is uncontrollably drawn into a newfound thirst for blood that overwhelms his soul. He however is not a vampire. Lafayette quickly succumbs to the ravenous nature of the infliction but leaves Hess a transformed man.
Soon Lafayette’s wife, Ganja Hightower, comes looking for her husband and becomes involved in a dangerous romance with Hess that questions the very nature of love, addiction, sex, and status in our seemingly sophisticated society. A reinterpretation of Bill Gunn’s horror cult film Ganja & Hess, which played as a Critics’ Choice at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, Spike Lee’s stylized thriller features an original score by Bruce Hornsby.
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