Something in the Water (2024) COMING SOON
Directed and Produced by Nateya Taylor
Something in the Water is a short film that details Black Milwaukeeans experiences with lead poisoning. The film follows five water justice community advocates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and captures the past, present, and future of water justice in the city. First, the film reveals the past: the racist history of residential segregation in Milwaukee, which has resulted in Black neighborhoods and residents presently being lead poisoned at disproportionate rates. The film also reveals the adverse effects of lead poisoning on the health of Black residents in Milwaukee, policy initiatives led by community leaders to combat lead poisoning, and how impacted community members have been organizing to bring more awareness to the issue. Lastly, the film reveals community input on how the city should take action to better the future of Milwaukee’s water and Milwaukee’s Black residents.
Past and Upcoming Screenings, Film Festival Selections, and Exhibitions for Something in the Water :
Upcoming Screenings
Wisconsin Film Festival (Madison, WI)
April 6th, 2025, 5:45PM, at the Chazen Museum of Art. Buy tickets here.
Capital City Film Festival (Lansing, MI)
April 9th, 2025, 6PM, at the Central United Methodist Church. Buy tickets here.
Past Screenings
Collaborative Screening with Office of Early Childhood Initiatives, and Fathers Making Progress (Free and open to the public)
March 18th, 2025, 6PM-7:30PM, at Abundant Faith Church of Integrity, 7830 Good Hope Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53223
Washington Park Media Center AV Club
January 14th, 2025, 5:30PM, at Washington Park Media Center, 4303 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI 53208
Milwaukee Water Commons Artist Residency Celebration
October 4th, 2024, 5PM at Milwaukee Water Commons, 1836 W Fond du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53205
Share the Environmental Film Series
September 18th, 2024, 6PM at UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
Film Festival Selections
2025 Changing Tides Ocean Film Festival, Atlanta, GA, Honorable Mention
2025 Capital City Film Festival, Lansing, MI, Official Selection
2025 Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI, Official Selection
Purple Phases (2025)
Filmed and Edited by Nateya Taylor
A 2 minute trailer for the “Purple Phases” podcast that hosts conversations about the different stages and phases Black women go through.
House of History MKE Coming Out Day (2024)
Edited by Nateya Taylor
A 7 minute documentary featuring 10 Black LGBTQ+ Milwaukeeans who share their coming out experiences.
The CR8TV House 2024 MAKE ART Fundraiser (2024)
Directed, Filmed, and Edited by Nateya Taylor
A 5 minute promo video to raise money for the non-profit “The CR8TV House.”
The Good Land (2022 -ongoing)
Directed, Filmed, and Edited by Nateya Taylor
“The Good Land” is an anthology series featuring interviews of Black community leaders in Milwaukee that encapsulate the Black experience in Milwaukee, the current ways Black residents are uplifting the community, and the innovative ideas Black residents have to create a better future in Milwaukee.
Muneer Bahauddeen: Vision (2023)
Past and Current Film Festival Selections, Screenings and Exhibitions:
2023 Official selection Center for Afrofuturist Studies Film Festival
- November 3rd, 2023 screening at Union Docs in Brooklyn, New York
2023 Official Selection Kwanzaa Film Festival
- December 7th, 2023 pre-festival screening at the Bronx Community College in New York City, New York
Growing Resistance: Untold Stories of Milwaukee’s Community Guardians Exhibition
- On view from January 8th, 2024 - March 2nd, 2024 at MIAD in the Brooks Stevens Gallery
Nō Studios 2024 Filmmaker Showcase
- March 10th, 2024 at Nō Studios
2024 Official Selection Film Girl Film Festival
- March 29th-31st, 2024 Online
2024 Official Selection Milwaukee Film Festival
- April 18th, 2024 at the Oriental Theater
2023-2024 MARNmentorship Exhibition
- On view from April 5th, 2024 to May 26th, 2024 at MARN
- April 26th 2024, 6-7:30PM at MARN
Martina Patterson: Duality (2024)
Camille Mays: Peace (2024)
On the Mainline (2023)
Filmed, Starring, and Edited by Nateya Taylor
On her 25th birthday, a woman sets out on a journey to fulfill her one wish: to hear the voice of her deceased grandma.
This short experimental documentary uses archives, memory, and sense of place to honor the filmmaker’s ancestor Eddie Mae Jones who passed away in 2022. The film was recorded at Eddie Mae Jones’ home she lived in before she passed away and includes audio of an old voice message from Eddie Mae Jones.
The Forgotten History of America's Black Towns & First Black Owned Airport: Robbins, Illinois (2023)
Written and Edited by Nateya Taylor
A short documentary about the history of Black towns and the history of the first Black owned airport in the Black town Robbins, Illinois.
NFLPA x Testify Black History Month (2023)
Production Research by Nateya Taylor
NFLPA player representatives Eric Kendricks and Harrison Phillips toured the “TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today" exhibit – an extraordinary collection of African-American art and artifacts from the collection of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and his late wife Diane.
Meditation Moves: A Nia Dance Experience (2023)
Filmed and Edited by Nateya Taylor
A 1 min promo video of the Meditation Moves Nia Dance Experience Event
