A newly-released featurette discusses the importance of filming the OWN hit, Queen Sugar, in Louisiana.
“So much of the story is about location, like Charley’s character and her family uproot themselves from LA, which is a distinctive look than here. When you get to the Bordelon farm, there is something beautiful about being there and seeing the cane. I don’t know how else we would shoot things like that,” said cinematographer Kira Kelly.
“We’ve gone far and beyond to find the right people with the right backgrounds to bring this thing to life. If we have operators on equipment, we try to find real operators. For the High Yellow lounge, we try to find real busboys, real waiters. We are looking for real people who really know what they are doing in those types of atmospheres. They have a texture that we really need to bring this to life,” said extras casting director Brent Caballero.
Watch below:
The series, created by Ava DuVernay who also executive produces with Oprah Winfrey, chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings in Saint Josephine, Louisiana. Based on the book by Natalie Baszile, Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner and Kofi Siriboe star as the siblings.