“She Taught Love” Ushers in a new RomComnaissance

During the red carpet for the premiere of Darrell Britt-Gibson’s new film, She Taught Love, I floated the term “RoC” past star Alexander Hodge. “Romance of Color?” I explained and he laughed, clearly tickled by my antics, but also (at least how I’m choosing to interpret it) a bit impressed, because it’s not far off. 

Britt-Gibson’s passion project has been nearly 8 years in the making and after two different history making strikes, a world wide pandemic, casting changes and budget setbacks, we’re finally getting a romcom that features two Black leads that are just Black and beautiful. She Taught Love follows Frank, a Black actor in Hollywood who is trying to break out of the “thug” stereotype casting mold with the help of a very sympathetic and supportive team lead by his agent Laura (D’Arcy Carden). He has a crush on a woman he always sees at the grocery story who finally decides to give him a shot. 

Mali (Arsema Thomas) is a sports agent who has smarts, quick rejoinders at the ready and an expiration date. She has cancer and though she likes Frank, she’s hesitant about getting into a relationship for all of the obvious reasons. It’s interesting, yet telling of the world that in a movie about love through cancer one of the main changes Britt-Gibson was asked to make was to have the female lead be white. While reading the scripts Arsema Thomas was shocked and elated to see that the role was writer for a chocolate-colored woman who was darker complected and seen as a beautiful object and it was absolutely devastating yet relatable in the audience to understand how that’s not the norm in Hollywood or very many other places. 

The story is sweet and fun and funny and shows a lot about love, but also loss, hurt and forgiveness. She Taught Love will indeed teach you something about love, and maybe even something about Black love. We got to talk to a lot of the cast and creators who told us what the buzz was going to be about this film and why you should check it out!