When Cigarettes Taste Like Blood

A film by Kyle Walker
Role: Co-Director of Photography and Camera Operator

Logline:
Attending a boarding school for orphaned young adult males, Daniel and Elias share stories of their fathers’ tragic fates, chase each other in the dandelion field, and smoke cigarettes in secret until one morning changes everything. When they are seen sleeping beside each other shirtless, assumptions about Elias’s sexuality spread through the school. As pressure builds, he becomes prey to his peers and slips into silence, joining the other orphans in one final display of masculine conformity.

About the Production:
I joined this project as the co-director of photography and camera operator. The film was completed over two intensive production days and was created as the senior thesis project of director Kyle Walker at Morehouse College. I collaborated closely with the director to shape the visual style, plan compositions, guide movement, and support the emotional tone of the story. My work focused on framing, lighting adjustments, and capturing the intimacy and tension that drive the film.

Recognition:
When Cigarettes Taste Like Blood was a semifinalist for the Student Academy Awards.