Q&A: Filmmaker Layla Absalon on ‘Remembering Indiana Avenue’ 

“Remembering Indiana Avenue,” a documentary directed and edited by local Black filmmaker Layla Absalon, is one of many films screening at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival presented by Heartland Film this month. 

The Recorder sat down with Absalon ahead of the annual film festival to talk about her journey into the history and inspiration for a documentary about the city’s once-vibrant Black community. 

Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. 

Tell me a little bit about yourself. How did you get into filmmaking? 

Layla Absalon: I went to IUPUI, and I got a bachelor’s of science in media arts science, so my main specialization was in video production and data science. That’s something I’ve been doing for a while now. I just have a passion for cinema, and I just grew up with movies and cameras and just being introduced to technology. I think that all came hand in hand. 

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What made you want to direct and edit a documentary film? Did you have any mentors or filmmakers who inspired or encouraged you? 

Absalon: My faculty advisor, C. Thomas Lewis. I took a lot of courses with him that dealt with unscripted work in terms of documentaries. At first, I wanted to do narrative work, but I think that really made me realize that I wanted to do documentaries, because then you’re able to talk about stories that are untold and it’s very raw. Storytelling within documentaries is just so powerful, in my opinion. So, I think I grew interested. I watch documentaries all the time, too, so I just look at that as a source of inspiration. 

What is the story behind “Remembering Indiana Avenue?” 

Absalon: It’s a documentary that blends personal stories with historical insight to honor the legacy of the once vibrant Black community in Indianapolis — which is also known as Indiana Avenue — to celebrate its culture while acknowledging the forces that led to its decline. I want this to be an educational documentary, and I hope that the story resonates with a lot of people and is able to raise discussions and allow people to know that the history isn’t erased. 

When did you start working on that documentary, and what was that process like? 

Absalon: It was my senior capstone documentary. Before my capstone, I had a course at IUI. It was a multimedia project development course, and I was introduced to two clients, Eunice Trotter and Steven Mannheimer. They basically asked the classmates and I to capture short videos of different locations within the avenue or alongside the avenue. I didn’t know its history at the time. So we had those short videos before my capstone.  

I wanted to expand on that and make sure that I include interviewees that (could) retell the story through recollection or acknowledgement to really bring out the history. Along the way, I learned more about it, because as I captured the locations and the buildings and all that, I researched more and more, and Eunice and Steven were very helpful in letting me know the history as well. 

How did you react when you heard it was selected for the Indy Shorts International Film Festival? What does having this story broadcast on such a significant platform mean to you? 

Absalon: I was completely flabbergasted. At first, I thought it was a mistake. … At the time, I was still working on it, so I’d just submitted it. As soon as I got this information, I was relieved, but very shocked. It means a lot to me because the reason why this documentary got created in the first place was to bring awareness to Indiana Avenue. My faculty advisor, Eunice Trotter and Steven Mannheimer — we’ve all discussed in the past that we would like institutions to broadcast the story, because I hear all the time that a lot of people don’t know about the avenue. I thought it would be a great idea to create this so more people could know and tell others, and also help with revitalization efforts, because I know it’s happening, but I think it would kind of expedite the situation as more people know about it. 

What is the message or knowledge you hope people walk away with after seeing your documentary? 

Absalon: The message that I want to send out is that no matter how much time passes or how many generations there are to come, history cannot be erased. There should be more community efforts to kind of bring that history back. Whether it’s through documentaries, whether it’s through different community events to talk about the history, it should always be told and that it should never be forgotten.  

What is the significance of having Black filmmakers, especially young ones, telling these stories during a time when Black history is being erased? 

Absalon: It’s very instrumental to have Black Filmmakers being the ones to discuss it, because it makes it that much more foundational. It’s very nice to know that there are Black Filmmakers within the community that are able to create films, and we’re able to put a spotlight on history like this. I think a lot of people are inspired by minorities who continue to do stuff like this, because it lets other people know that they can do it also. 

Black filmmakers who create stories that are specifically tailored to Black Americans — I would say it brings authenticity to the process, and I feel like it also is able to give a fuller picture of the history. 

When and where can people see “Remembering Indiana Avenue?” 

Absalon: They can see it on my website, rememberingindianaavenue.com. My screening will be broadcast on Sunday, July 27 at 1:45 p.m. at the Tobias Theater. If anybody watches the documentary, not only do I appreciate it so much, but I hope you will learn from it. 

For more information about the Indy Shorts International Film Festival or to purchase tickets, visit tickets.indyshorts.org/welcome. 

Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.