Interview: Edson Jean – Know Me (Work in Progress)

In 2021, Miami-based filmmaker Edson Jean arrives with his SXSW preemed feature debut in Ludi, the story about a Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood based nurse who might be at wits end. Pulling from a personal space once again, Jean’s Know Me takes an in-depth dive into media (mostly sensationalist) headlines painting a more complete picture of a man who went off the deep end. This sophomore feature appears to be a sobering mental health themed film that humanizes and contextualizes the horrific events of 2012. I had the chance to speak to Edson Jean in Wroclaw.

While the eco-system remains inherently delicate, the American micro indie film scene thrives, and IONCINEMA.com will highlight this vitality in our comprehensive interview series. We will trace the journey of films through in-depth conversations with the filmmakers and producers responsible for their creation, focusing on the eight projects chosen for the 2023 U.S. in Progress, a part of the American Film Fest in Wrocław. Throughout our year-plus coverage, we’ll delve into the evolution of these original works, from the post-production phase to picture lock and ultimately to their premieres at film festivals. Among the class of ’23 we find Tyler Taormina‘s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, Cutter Hodierne‘s Cold Wallet, Sarah Friedland‘s Familiar Touch, India Donaldson‘s Good One, Edson Jean‘s Know Me, Albert Birney‘s Obex, Morgan Krantz‘s The Water is Always Warm and Anu Valia‘s We Strangers.