ICW: Adamma and Adanne Ebo
At the end of last week I was invited to Sundance Film Festival to see Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul - the feature film debut for filmmaking duo and real life twins Adamma and Adanne Ebo. Thank you to Premier Comms and Picturehouse for the invite! My review of the film can be found here.
I then got to sit down with the twins to discuss the film, working together, growing up in megachurch culture, and of course our staple here at TBP: What it means to them to be Black. I hope you enjoy it!
Brianna (TBP)
Hiya, how are you guys doing?
Both Sisters
We’re doing well, how are you?
Brianna (TBP)
I’m really well thank you! How long have you guys been here?
Adanne
We got in yesterday.
Brianna (TBP)
Is the jet lag hitting?
Adanne
Yes! I think right now we have this like rush of adrenaline, but I think we’ll probably crash shortly.
Brianna (TBP)
That’s alright, once you’ve got all this out the way you can just crash, enjoy the city. Can you just say your names?
Adamma
I’m Adamma Ebo, I’m the writer and the director of the film.
Adanne
And I’m Adanne Ebo, the producer.
Brianna (TBP)
Right, let’s get into it! So I saw it yesterday, loved it. I literally didn’t stop laughing until…well, until literally the last 10 seconds.
Both sisters
(Laugh)
Adanne
Until the end! It does take a very hard left turn.
Brianna (TBP)
I thought it was a really clever way of approaching quite a tricky subject. You’re talking about the problems in the church, misogyny, sexual misconduct. How did this story come about?
Adamma
So we grew up in Southern Baptist Megachurch Culture in Atlanta Georgia, where the film is set. We went to not only our church but visited several other churches in the area. The problems seems like, strikingly similar and rampant throughout. So I think we, whilst we still felt this deep connection to church and to the culture and to our faith, we couldn’t help but like, deeply critique it. And I think it came from the desire to question and like, find a solution to these issues.
Brianna (TBP)
That comes across. I can see in the film that you love the church. And I was wondering how do you strike that balance between being incredibly funny and also deeply respectful? Because that respect is there throughout.
Adanne
You know what, it’s interesting, I think it’s at this point almost genetically passed down for Black folks to be both extremely hilarious but then also extremely respectful. Like you can make a joke and then immediately be like “Yes Ma’am.” It’s just a natural part of Black culture. And I think specifically the Black church, the funny bits of it, it can be so bombastic that it’s on its face, just funny. So if you just do an honest portrayal of that –
Adamma
You gon’ laugh!
Adanne
It’s gon’ be funny! You’re gonna laugh. But I think also, being able to still critique it is how you ride that line tonally of appreciating it but also not punching down at it.
Brianna (TBP)
And that’s so important. I think that’s a conversation that’s happening a lot in comedy at the moment of how do you strike that balance, because a lot of comedians are just punching down and losing that really important balance but you hit it perfectly.
Both Sisters
Thank you.
Brianna (TBP)
As I watched it, I was getting very big Kim K/Kanye –
Both Sisters
(laughs)
(Brianna TBP)
Pre divorce from Lee Curtis and Trinitie. And he comes across to me really movie star, like superstar. Did you draw on celebrity culture when you were creating them?
Adamma
Oh that’s a really good question.
Adanne
Honestly, yes. I will say pastors in Southern Baptists Megachurch Culture are celebrities.
Adamma
They’re celebrities. They’re like rock stars.
Adanne
And they’re insanely rich.
Adamma
A lot of power and influence.
Adanne
A lot of power and influence.
Adamma
But then also extremely image conscious.
Adanne
Extremely.
Adamma
Like dressing like – Kanye isn’t a bad cop actually.
Adanne
Kanye and Kim, that’s a good cop.
Adamma
That’s a really good cop actually, like they care a lot about their appearance, a lot about how they come off to people, and a lot about how the people who surround them come off. And thus become pretty controlling.
Adanne
I think we also drew inspiration from US politician Anthony Weiner and his wife – well I guess ex? They broke up right?
Adamma
They broke up and got back together I don’t know what’s going on.
Adanne
Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner, Huma was a big aide to Hillary Clinton and then Anthony Weiner, he was supposed to be president and then had a huge scandal and their whole dynamic was – it was a shit show. You couldn’t look away basically.
Brianna (TBP)
It’s so interesting because for me I was so fascinated by this idea of how they wanted to be seen in public and in the kwasi-documentary and then as the camera cut away from that, the instant change in their attitudes. Is that very how it is?
Adanne
That’s how it is. Extremely how it is. And also intentional in our film making. Because we’ve been drawing the line between – everyone is used to mockumentaries, but we’ve been calling our style faux documentary because for us the camera isn’t a character in and of itself. We wanted it to feel more like an actual documentary. And people take documentaries as truth telling, as fact. But we wanted that dichotomy for when the cameras were on, when we were supposed to be seeing the truth, Lee-Curtis and Trinite, that’s when they’re their most false. But when the cameras cut that’s when they are themselves.
Brianna (TBP)
100%. And we see married couples working together in this film, and the trials and tribulations that brings – you guys are closer than most married couples are!
Adanne
We say this is a marriage.
Brianna (TBP)
How is it working together? Are you usually both saying Ay-men or Ah-men?
Adamma
We’re usually both saying Ay-men.
Adanne
Yeah, Ay-men. But it’s interesting, we meet a lot of people who are like “I could never work with my sibling.” But I think this is just a natural extension of the partnership we were born into, we prefer to be together, we prefer to do things together. And we don’t really see that stopping any time soon.
Adamma
I mean, death.
Adanne
Til death, there we go.
Brianna (TBP)
Well I mean, if this is the debut, and it’s that good? I would definitely recommend not working apart!
Everyone
Laughs
Brianna (TBP)
So my last question, and I ask everyone I interview this because I only interview Black people.
Adanne
Lovely. Love it.
Brianna (TBP)
What does being Black mean to you?
Adanne
Everything.
Adamma
Oh god, it’s so lit here. It’s just… I can see why everyone else is jealous. I can see why everyone else wanna be black, I really can. It’s amazing over here, despite what the rest of y’all try to make it for us. We quite like it. Being Black just means, like Adanne said, being Everything.
Adanne
Because we have to be. Especially Black women.
Adamma
Yes. I think we’re everything the world needs and I think we’re everything the world – if they are honest with themselves – wants to be.
Brianna (TBP)
Absolutely correct. You are absolutely right.
Everyone
Laughs.
Brianna (TBP)
Thank you so much for your time!
Both Sisters
Thank you!
Adanne
It’s been lovely.
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul is scheduled for release in cinemas September 2nd 2022, and on streaming platform Peacock the same day. Follow the twins on Instagram. Adamma & Adanne. Or grab them on Twitter. Adamma & Adanne.