I create films and media that blend Black radical history, queer identity, and personal narrative to make complex political ideas accessible and emotionally resonant. From short films to video essays to explorations of the writing life, video is a medium I continue to invest in.
MY VIDEWORK
TWO WOKE MINDS | WRITING VIDEOS | BEFORE I DIE (film)
WHAT I’VE BEEN WORKING ON…
THE HISTORY, TOOLS, AND REALITIES OF DIRECT ACTION
These videos dive into the history, strategies, and lived experiences of direct action as a powerful form of resistance. Drawing on themes from my memoir When They Tell You To Be Good, they explore how refusal and collective disruption have shaped movements for Black liberation and queer freedom. Through a mix of storytelling and analysis, the series offers practical tools and honest reflections on the challenges and possibilities of taking radical action today.
BLACKNESS, FAME, AND WHAT FALLS BETWEEN THE CRACKS OF HISTORY
These videos explore the complex intersections of Black identity, visibility, and the often overlooked stories that history leaves behind. THEY examine how fame and cultural recognition shape—and sometimes distort—our understanding of Blackness. This work invites viewers to rethink what it means to be seen, remembered, and celebrated in a world that often erases or simplifies Black experience by uncovering hidden narratives and challenging dominant histories.
SURVEILLANCE, POLICE, AND STATE VIOLENCE
BEFORE I DIE
On the eve of surgery, two friends confront what’s been left unsaid. Before I Die is a reckoning with love, fear, and the silences that fail to protect us.
WRITTEN by prince shakur. directed by Julian Foglietti.
SELECTED FOR: 2024 Black Alphabet Film Festival (Cincinatti, OH & Chicago, IL) , Cinema Columbus 2025
TWO WOKE MINDS
TWO WOKE MINDS is a GLAAD-recognized documentary and travel video series created by Eli Hiller and Prince Shakur. Born partially out of Prince’s experiences seeing the importance of live streaming in Standing Rock and the erasure of the nuance of social movements in mainstream media, Hiller and Shakur started the series during their travels in the Philippines. They would go on to document their travels as people of color, cover demonstrations on behalf of the Filipino urban poor, and anti-police brutality protests occurring in St. Louis, MO in 2017.
Two Woke Minds Explainer
Equal parts funny and political, Eli Hiller and Prince Shakur would pursue the project from January 2017 to December 2018.
Two Friends of Color Traveling
It was also vital that the project the show the joys, obstacles, and lessons learned from being travelers of color in a white-dominated youtube travel environment.
Short Docs