By Chanel Cain
“What’s more important?” was a question that lingered in the mind of filmmaker Frantzy Moreau. Having recently gone through a breakup, he began to write about what he was going through and the city around him. His sister, who he says was also a second mom to him, asked him this question during a conversation.
“I just remember I wrote about what I was going through during that time and my sister told me, ‘Well, what’s more important?’ and I just remember that line stuck with me the whole time.”
And through it all he always seemed to find the right answer.
Moreau’s webshow “What’s More Important” follows a Haitian young adult, R.C., as he navigates the first frontier of adulting. The show’s relatable quality stems from its creator, who shares many similarities to the protagonist. Moreau drew from growing up in a Haitian family to tell a story he hadn’t seen played out.
One of the biggest inspirations for Moreau was the show “Atlanta”. He wanted to highlight his hometown of Miami in the same way. Drawing from his roots, the city became his playground to tell a story he was best equipped to tell. He had already made a name for himself as a hard worker in the city, and in many cases his community rallied around him when he needed support.
“It really felt like it was crafted by God. Like, seriously, not even joking,” Moreau said. “A lot of the things that happened kind of, like, fell into place. And that’s why the show to me is very magical.”
Moreau’s love for the creative started at a young age. His humble upbringing often left his family with the necessities. After seeing the movie “The Mummy” at the age of eight, he began to make his own stories, cutting out paper figures to act out his scenes. That blossomed into writing, and his creative drive continued from there. At the age of fourteen he got his first camera, and instead of figurines his brother and friends became his actors.
“I just remember showing the playback to my family and how they responded from it. And it took off from there. I was like alright, I gotta get my hands on the camera,” Moreau said.
Despite being accepted to several colleges, Moreau did not have the means to follow that path. However this did not stop him. The library became his classroom, Youtube his professor. He continued to hone his skills as a self taught artist, making a name for himself and showcasing his growing talent.
“I come from the school of Issa Rae and Donald [Glover] and you know, Quinta [Brunson], you know that sort of like YouTube online world in like how they came up and everything,” Moreau said.
After the show wrapped, Moreau began to promote. Online spaces like the Shade Room picked up on the promos he was posting, and the show gained more traction. Originally the show was posted week-to-week on Youtube. After submitting to kweliTV, “What’s More Important” found a new home.
Moreau wants to keep pushing himself in his art, working on short films and hopefully a second season of his show. No matter what the future holds, the most important thing for Moreau is his passion for storytelling.
Be sure to watch “What’s More Important” on kweliTV.
