Kendrick Lamar is opening up about the inspiration behind his We Cry Together short film, a contender for a Best Live Action Short Oscar nomination.
The rapper tells Variety it was important for the six-minute-long visual to capture the intensity of a toxic relationship. He wanted it to be something everyone could relate to.
“So in writing, I say, ‘OK, how can I make this feel personal, but also holding up a mirror as a collective concept, rather than just a personal concept,'” Kendrick says. “I wanted to bring that drama because, at the end of the day, whether we like it or not — the good, the bad and the ugly, the pros and cons — that’s what makes everything evolve.”
Kendrick directed the short film with Dave Free and Jack Schreier, and co-starred in it alongside actress Taylour Paige.
“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour,” Kendrick says of the project.
In addition to embodying the characters, Kendrick says capturing a very specific environment for the visual -- the couple’s apartment -- was vital to set the stage.
“Ultimately, the main thing is people that we can actually identify with. Not only from our culture but from cultures all around the world,” he says. “So the environment plays a huge role, and that’s something we definitely wanted to bring to life along with the script. It was just as important as the individuals that were actually spewing out the insults.”
Oscar nominations are set to be announced on January 24.
(Video contains uncensored profanity.)