Kofi Siriboe's Latest Short Film Is a Captivating Portrait of Grief and Depression

Kofi Siriboe continues to show the black community that it's okay to be vulnerable and that one is never alone when navigating this life of ours with this new project.

In JUMP, the Ghanaian-American actor and Queen Sugar star paints a portrait of a young black man battling depression, grief and the urge to commit suicide.

Shot in the Bronx, you'll meet Ziggy, who, according to the film's brief summary, is a "haunted man detached from reality" as well as his friend Kree—who represents the people in our lives who are willing to be present in our time of need. Throughout the short film you'll notice a black girl appear and disappear, as she represents the innocence and relief Ziggy longs for—if he jumps.

Watch JUMPbelow.

Siriboe took to Instagram to express his thoughts and inspiration behind the film. As he's said in his first project, WTF Is Mental Health?, he emphasizes that our community's understanding of mental health is imperative.

He continues:

Therapy should be free for students and gang members and broken families and everybody. Schools should establish the realities of being born into a society designed to disconnect us from our simple, so very, delicate, truths; particularly, us, Black people. It's critical that our elders share archetypes and resources assisting younger generations, galvanized, navigating the vast and temporal terrains of the information age. I suppose in a world that perpetuates hate, we take the initiative to, unapologetically, put love on a pedestal. 'Jump' is a safe space i'd like to share with anybody who knows what it feels like to feel anything; or everything.

JUMP was written, directed and executive produced by Siriboe, headed by his production company, VIAKOFI. He's joined by Jael Nuamah, Omar Dorsey and Chelsea Tavares in the film. Denzel Whitaker, Joshua Kissi, Shawn Marcus Taylor, Kwame Boateng and Anthony Brooks are the films producers.

Revisit the short doc, WTF Is Mental Health?, here.