Film director Chyna Robinson
“No Ordinary Love” is a romantic thriller with a message.
The indie film, shot in Fort Worth from 2018 – 2019, tells a story of two couples wrapped up in the darkness of intimate partner abuse. While its intention is to entertain, the film also seeks to raise awareness of domestic violence.
“No Ordinary Love” is the first full-length narrative feature film from Fort Worth screenwriter and director Chyna Robinson. She was approached by Tracy Rector, executive producer and board chair of SaveHaven Tarrant County, to write and direct the film.
The film’s currently making its way through the international film festival circuit and picking up several awards along the way. BronzeLens Film Festival and American Black Film Festival are showcasing “No Ordinary Love” virtually this month.
FW: How did you become a filmmaker?
CR: I actually knew from childhood that I wanted to write stories and create these worlds and characters. I've literally known since I was probably about eight or nine. I went to TCU and majored in radio, film, and television production. And from there, I started trying to hop onto different people's sets and learned different ways to do different positions. I found myself writing and directing for stage for years in the area. Then, in 2016, I came back to film, and it was my own.
FW: Can you tell us a little bit of background on how “No Ordinary Love” came to be?
CR: I just finished touring the festival circuit with my short film, [“Greenwood: 13 Hours”]. Greenwood in Fort Worth in the historic district. [Tracy Rector], who ended up being my executive producer [on “No Ordinary Love”], she reached out to me and asked me if I would be interested in doing a film on intimate partner violence. She sat on the chair of the board for SafeHaven of Tarrant County.
That's how the story came to be or how the idea of making this type of film came to be. From there, I decided I did not want to do a documentary, and I didn't want to just make it a linear story. So what I decided to do was make it a romantic thriller.
I spent two months researching intimate partner violence. I spoke with 23 women; some had been in shelters, some had not. I spoke with counselors. I spoke with the CEO of SafeHaven. I met with the prosecutor in downtown Fort Worth on a homicide trial. And then, I sat in on mandated sessions with abusers.
So I was able to really get a full scope of the mentality inside of what intimate partner violence is and the complexities of it.
FW: Based on your own experience, does Fort Worth seem like a supportive area for Black female writers to thrive in this industry?
CR: You know what? The whole industry — in Fort Worth, Texas, all of the United States — is really kind of a boys club. It is dominated by males. So we just have to kick down our doors and make ourselves seen and heard.
We've been able to work with a really good group inside Fort Worth. So there are pockets where people are more receptive to working with females. And then Black females, especially, sometimes you just have to make your own way.
When you look at funding, especially in this industry, those who are doing a lot of the investing, they are one demographic. They're usually white males, and white males usually invest in other white males. So I'm probably last on the list to receive any [funding]. What I did for my first short film, I actually did murder mysteries at Buttons Restaurant. I put them on, I wrote them, I cast them, directed them, all of that. I just put that money aside from ticket sales, and I funded the short film myself.
FW: Can you tell us why this message was important to share through film?
CR: SafeHaven was doing a quarterly review. They were seeing that there were domestic violence homicides happening and a lot of the women being killed had never gone to the shelter.
They didn't understand why. It came down to awareness. Either they didn't realize they were in an abusive relationship, or they didn't know where to go, who to call. They didn't know that SafeHaven existed.
So Traci was thinking, “Should I get a sign and put it on a bus?”. And then she thought about film. She said, “I don't know anything about film.”
So she called me and said, “Hey, you know about film? Can you do this?” And so I hopped right to it. I started researching, writing, casting, hiring. She just gave me complete control of all of that. She gave me access to information so that I could write authentically.
FW: What did you learn while researching the film?
CR: When you go online or check different websites, there are numbers and statistics, but you can't really understand the complexities of a relationship that's marred by domestic violence. So you don't understand there are these cycles; it is so much more than what a lot of people think it is. A lot of people ask the question, “Why didn't she just leave?”. Well, it's not as simple as, on the second date, somebody starts pummeling on you. There's a process. You fall in love, and you just really want the abuse to stop. You don't want to leave. You want them to go back to that lovey phase. So that was something that I didn't realize about it.
FW: Has the current state of the world changed the film festival circuit and distribution of the film?
CR: Absolutely, correct. There were a few festivals that we were supposed to be a part of, and they had to cancel because of COVID. We have two really big, reputable festivals on the East Coast — one in Atlanta, which is BronzeLens Film Festival and then American Black Film Festival, which is normally held in Miami. Those are going virtual this month.
It’s kind of nice because with a virtual festival, instead of, you know, a hundred people coming or 300 people coming to the theater and watching the film, it’s open to everybody. Everybody can watch it now.
So some festivals are where you go and purchase a pass, and then you log in. For these two upcoming festivals, they were fortunate enough to get sponsors to cover the cost of all passes. So both of the upcoming festivals are actually free. Everyone in the country can actually log in on the specific date and watch the film.
FW: So what's next? What do you have planned for the future?
CR: Well, for this film, we have a few more festivals coming. We have the two that are coming this month. We'll be at the Austin Revolution Film Festival in Texas next March. They pushed their date back. They're hoping for a physical festival if it's safe.
Other than that, I've actually taken the time to really write and get some ideas out. So I'm ready to film right now as soon as it's safe. I'm ready to go. I have a really tender love story. I have a limited series idea. I have two feature films. I'm just ready to hop into it. I even have a sitcom that I've penned. So I'm excited for when things calm down a little.
FW: Do you plan to continue filming in Fort Worth?
CR: I love my hometown — born and raised here. I absolutely would love to stay here. There is a lot of really good talent here in the area and DFW. There are some really creative and cool sites. I would love to continue to film here. So as long as we keep working with the Fort Worth Film Commission and as long as the city is accepting of indie films and working with indie filmmakers, I will definitely be here.
