“Dim your light for no one.

Shine bright, take flight.”

- Tari Wariebi, Director

logline:

In a world where Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage, Akil must defy fears, insecurities, and societal barriers while discovering his perfect launch into manhood.

synopsis:

Akil Summers, a 16 year old African American teen has wings and one goal: to take his first flight. First flights are a huge deal, a rites of passage essentially. There’s so much folklore around boys’ first flights that it would take a lifetime of Sundays on the stoop to get through them all. So, Akil has got to make a statement with his launch into manhood.

Today is special though, Akil’s wings have finally become functional. Meaning, he can actually move and control them on his own. This moment is a couple years overdue and Akil can’t hide his excitement. 

However, his excitement is short-lived in part because of his mother Robin’s lack of support. Robin recognizes that they live in a world where young black men flying is seen as a threat to the larger community. The number of “no-fly zones,” areas where the government prohibits flying, are increasing at a rapid rate and the city is now policed by drones that look for flying violations. That jeopardizes Akil’s coming-of-age moment and terrifies Robin, who fears that her son might suffer the same fate as Vernon, Akil’s father, who doesn’t have wings anymore. That’s right. No wings. His wings were clipped before Akil was born, leaving him as one of the few men in the neighborhood without them.

As Akil prepares for his first flight, he has fears, insecurities, and, above all,  one major question: what happened to his father’s wings? Akil musters up the courage to ask his father the question. Their conversation takes some twists and turns, but all for the better as Akil is left empowered to begin his search for the perfect launching pad with the help of his best friends…

Lenny and Jamel. The philosopher and the jokester, respectively. They pile on the social pressure and try to comfort him by sharing their first flight tales. The crew surveys the city in search of the perfect launch spot. But as they search, they are met with more “no-fly zones”. Lenny and Jamel encourage him to take his first flight at an upcoming party.

A deflated Akil is inspired by talking with his crush Jasmine. Their conservation stays with Akil as he continues his journey, motivating him to come up with the perfect first flight - simple and sweet. Akil evades party plans with his boys and takes Jasmine with him to a rooftop, where he plans to take his first flight with her as the only guest in attendance. How romantic?

The night is going magical until a patrolling drone suddenly appears. The drone falsely determines that Akil is flying illegally, and right before he can take off - he’s zapped. Akil’s body crashes down, his wings detach from his body. For a moment, it seems like he could be dead, but Akil rises up. A wingless Akil gathers himself and finds the strength to take flight, even without his wings.