New York-based Ghanaian director Frances Bodomo’s breakout film Boneshaker tells the story of a young girl, played by 12 Years a Slave, Annie, and Beasts of the Southern Wild actress Quvenzhané Wallis, who is taken to a Louisiana church in the hopes of banishing the evil spirits her parents believe possess her. Here, the filmmaker talks about the inspiration behind the film:

“Boneshaker focuses on the feelings of homelessness, landlessness, and rootlessness that often accompany immigration. I grew up in constant motion—moving from Ghana to Norway, to Hong Kong, to the USA—and as a result have always felt homesick for a home I have never had, nostalgic for a place I have never visited. 

“The film was the first in which I unpacked childhood experiences from the small details—the smell, the feel, the turns of phrase, the colors—of the many worlds I’ve seen. This project showed me that there is a lot to own beyond land and place.”