Teyana Taylor on the Message Inside Her New Film ‘A Thousand and One:’ ‘Black Women Are Never Really Heard’

A story about New York is better told from the viewpoint of real New Yorkers. 

A.V. Rockwell is making her feature directorial debut with A Thousand and One, out in theaters on March 31. The deeply moving film, which Rockwell also wrote, follows a single mother named Inez, played stunningly by Teyana Taylor, and her son, Terry, who are attempting to find a piece of home in Harlem.

After spending a year at Rikers, Inez finds an opportunity to kidnap her son who is in the foster care system, despite having no place to live. As a product of the foster care system herself, Inez is also looking for a family and stability so she returns to the neighborhood where she grew up and changes Terry’s identity with false documents to keep him by her side. The story takes place in 1994 and follows the pair through the years as they get closer, change, and grow, and as Harlem goes through its own transformation. 

Taylor’s retirement from music. Taylor is so authentic in this role, which is in part due to her being from Harlem. Her portrayal of Inez is spot-on with what a young woman from NYC feels like. Everything from the way she talks to how she walks and dresses will remind you of someone you know or grew up with. The styling in the film, done by costume designer Melissa Vargas, as well as the cinematography also vividly captures the essence of what New York was like back then—something native New Yorkers are desperately grasping to hold onto.

Check out our interview with Teyana Taylor and A.V. Rockwell about A Thousand and One, representing Harlem and the subtle messages viewers will find throughout the film.