Cast of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ Talk Film Inspiration + Gentrification

photo credit: Power 106

Director Joe Talbot and cast members Jimmie Fails and Rob Morgan sat down with LA’s Morning Show to talk about their recently debuted film ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco.” The film, which is centered around race issues, gentrification, and San Francisco’s changing landscape, which can be felt by many different cities in America, including Los Angeles.

Speaking on the project that was an on-going journey, Jimmie Fails explains how the film finally came into production after facing a weird phase in life after returning home from college.

I think when I went to college and I came back, it wasn’t really a good experience for me. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have no friends or nobody I could call out there. And, I left Joe in San Francisco all alone, you know what I’m saying. So, when I came back, we was both in like a weird state. It was kind of like a weird little depression and I feel like that’s what pretty much birthed this. We were talking about it before I left and then it kind of came back up when I came back and then it just started to form itself.

While the country has seen a great deal of change economically with big cities continuing to push out natives for funding of new projects and housing, the topic of gentrification is a consistent theme for the filmmakers as they have all experienced the global issue that is affecting far too many people. Rob Morgan tells the morning show, “I’m from Brooklyn city and the same thing is going on in Brooklyn, and that’s why I think it’s going to resonate with this movie, with everybody, because everybody wants a sense of home. A sense that they can identify with, that speaks their voice, that recognizes them. And, you know, that’s one of the beautiful things about this movie, highlighting that aspect of gentrification.” Morgan continues explain, “I mean, really, I think that this is a global thing because I was just in France and going from Nice to Cannes, all I saw was construction and it made me think of Brooklyn.”

Talbot goes on to reveal how his hometown reacted to the film and how it has affected the culture saying, “It’s a movie by the city, for the city.”

Watch the full interview with the cast of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ and LA’s Hip Hop Morning Show below!