Redemption and Faith: The Making of "Washed”"

Maurice Kennedy and DeVariyay Harris discuss their powerful short film, "Washed," which tells the redemptive story of a young man struggling to feel worthy of salvation. Through this project, they aimed to create authentic faith-based cinema that breaks stereotypes while addressing real spiritual struggles.

• "Washed" was created as Maurice's senior thesis at Morehouse College, serving as his "love letter" to both God and the institution
• The film addresses how many young people struggle with taking their faith journey seriously while feeling ashamed of their past
• DeVariyay connected so deeply with his character Carter, that he decided to get baptized during filming
• An unplanned baptism of one of the producers also occurred on set, capturing authentic moments of faith
• The underwater baptism scene presented technical challenges but resulted in powerful imagery
• Much of the dialogue between characters was improvised, creating natural interactions
• The film has been embraced by church groups and Bible studies for watch parties
• With hopes of showing  at film festivals with potential for a sequel or feature-length project
• Both filmmakers emphasize that Christian art doesn't need to be compartmentalized or "cheesy"

You can watch "Washed" on YouTube and follow the filmmakers on social media at @godmademo and @devariyay across platforms.

Transcript

Introduction to Washed Film

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey everybody, this is Brittany sliding in to do the intro for this amazing podcast. Did y'all miss us? Because we miss you. Okay, hi, chitchatters, today we got a treat for you. One of our prior guests is back in the house and we got a brand new guest joining the conversation. Are you excited? Cause I know I am, but you know how we do. Before we spill the coffee, let's give a big shout out to our coffee of the conversation. Are you excited? Because I know I am, but you know how we do. Before we spill the coffee, let's give a big shout out to our coffee of the week, which is a great, lovely tasting vanilla blondie with banana bread caramel drizzle iced coffee.

Speaker 1 0:45

Today we have DeVarie Harris and his director, maurice Kennedy. They'll be discussing their new short film Washed. A little background, devarie. He was born in Houston and raised in California. Currently an actor and student at Georgia State University, devarie has starred in the BET movie Dailyanglement and the Tubi film Hot Girl Winter. He also appeared in the short film why Not? Produced by NBA star Russell Westbrook. Maurice Kennedy is a recent Morehouse graduate, where he studied cinema, television and emerging media studies. Deeply inspired by biblical parables, he uses film to merge faith and creativity, aiming to share stories of hope and engagement rooted in the gospel. Through his work, he aims to push the boundaries of Christian creativity as we know it. Okay, chitchatters, and now I'm going to send it over to my mom and we're going to get this interview started.

Speaker 2 1:42

So let's talk about your new film, Washed. And for those who haven't heard of Washed, how would you describe the story in about three or four sentences?

Speaker 3 1:52

I would say Washed is ultimately a redemptive story. I feel like it represents people who may feel unheard or unseen, and I wanted it to be something that, regardless of your age, race or background, whether you grew up in the church or not, um, you can relate to that story, knowing that there is a savior who sees you, um, and loves you okay, that is awesome.

Speaker 2 2:22

So what inspired the concept? I?

Speaker 3 2:28

would say I try to be very observant in life and, being someone who has worked in ministry for four years now, this is a common theme that a lot of people, especially in my generation, struggle with is wanting to take their walk with the Lord seriously, but feeling ashamed, knowing some of the things that they've done in their past, or thinking that they're not qualified in order to, you know, receive salvation or to get baptized, and everything like that, and so I felt that this was a common thing that I kept hearing from people but no one was ever addressing, and so I wanted to make a film to kind of start the conversation, if you will, and address something that doesn't really get heard of.

Speaker 2 3:22

I love that. So what and how? How did devarier become a part of?

Speaker 3 3:28

so, oh, we were casting and we were just praying. I say, lord, I don't want to just cast anyone, I want to cast someone who can relate to this to the extent, um. And so we were looking and I was asking my producers if they know anybody, and one of my producers, sky, she said you know, I have a friend who is an actor who I think would be really great for this role, and so I saw his acting tape and.

Speaker 3 3:59

I started snooping on his Instagram. What he was about and I saw that one thing I loved is he was super passionate about his faith. Um, he truly is a man of god. Um, and he's super authentic and vulnerable, which I really appreciate it and I can relate to you personally, um, and then he got some acting chops I saw his uh, his tape.

Speaker 3 4:21

I saw he was really passionate. And also meeting him and getting to work with him, I saw he was truly passionate about his craft and we kind of have that same fire, just for people to know the gospel through creativity.

Speaker 2 4:37

So it was meant to be. So, it was just meant to be you kind of like hit him up. And what did you say, DeVarier?

Speaker 4 4:52

Let me tell you I was going through a lot that week, not gonna lie, um. So I had auditioned for like a lot of stuff that week, like back to back to back, losing sleep, um, losing sleep, and I was like man, I don't feel like auditioning. Then sky sent me something, I ain't gonna lie. I was like, okay, I guess I read the script. I'm like, oh, shoot this, this is deep. I have um, sky only sent me a little bit of michael and carter, that, uh, that scene, uh, sorry, michael and alex, the characters of how they were arguing, how, um, I left them at a party. I'm like, oh wait, I can kill this role Like this is me right here.

Speaker 3 5:26

You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 5:27

So I was like oh, yeah, I definitely got to do this and I knew I was going to kill my audition. I just felt it, like you know, because I was killing every other audition and I wasn't getting picked. But for some reason, someone told me to do this audition. I'm going to just give it to them. They're going to book me anyway. But I'm like nah, let me not fake this out.

Speaker 3 5:48

Let me really give it, my all.

Speaker 4 5:51

Knowing it's a Christian project too. I can't play with a guy like that.

Speaker 2 5:53

You know what I'm saying? That part, yeah, that part, okay. So back to Marisa. Was this based on a real life event or a personal experience?

Speaker 3 6:07

I think I was taking from several people's experiences and my own experience as well, and just taking different things that we've all been through and integrating them into one universal story, and I feel like that's how it was able to relate to so many people.

Meet DeVarie and Maurice Kennedy

Speaker 2 6:27

Okay. So we know that faith-based messages usually because I've seen some in the late and I'm like wait a minute, but most of them have powerful messages. What is the core message that you hope your audience take away from this film?

Speaker 3 6:45

I would say the core message is the redemptive power of the blood, how, regardless of what you feel like you've done in your past, it doesn't define you, and that you are truly washed and made a new creature. And that's something that I've personally wrestled with in my faith feeling like I have to earn grace or feel like that my past discounted me. But one thing that I had to learn was that God's grace is greater than my greatest sin, and so I felt like that's something that this generation needs to know, knowing that there's so many labels that people identify themselves with, that baggage people are carrying, not knowing truly the power of the blood.

Speaker 2 7:41

Amen, I love that because that's all it takes. Devaria, you wanted to say something.

Speaker 4 7:45

He just looked like he wants to chime in there, oh really, oh yeah, see, I was holding it, but like this is nobody know about this, when I read the script at the table, read, I had a. I read the script and like, uh, I told Mo I think, uh, the last thing I said to him I was like, bro, I feel like God called me to do this, uh, do this movie. You know what I'm saying? He was like he, he, he probably agreed with me, but I don't think he felt what I was saying for real.

Speaker 4 8:10

And then the, the second director and, like uh, lead actor. It was like we're just having a good conversation and how like I was, just like I was just taking on carter. And then I read that carter gets baptized and like, with my faith, knowing me, like I um, I never got baptized before. I was waiting for the right time. And once I found out carter gets baptized, I'm like wait, what if this is my sign to really get baptized?

Speaker 4 8:40

you know, so I told mo I was like bro and I was praying and everything. I was like bro, I really do want to get baptized. He was like for real. You know he was happy. He was happy. Yeah, mo can even tell you he said didn't you say he fights my only baptized and saved on his?

Speaker 3 8:58

yeah, like well, I was praying into the film and I told my producers. I said I don't think this is just a film. I think people are going to get blessed, yes, from watching it, but I also think he wants to move while we are actually filming. And I said people, I feel like this is going to lead people to get baptized Me not knowing that it was going to be people in the cast.

Speaker 1 9:21

I know right.

Speaker 3 9:23

And so not only did Daivari get baptized at the end during one of the end credits, when the credits were rolling, it was an unplanned, spontaneous moment where one of our producers, besides Adam, came up to me while we were about to film the next scene and she said I really feel this hug on the Lord that I need to get baptized. And so we truly just stopped everything that we were doing and made a way for the Lord to just do what he wanted to do in that moment.

Speaker 2 9:50

And I saw that at the end I just that was. So I was like, oh, that's the Lord Right.

The Story Behind Washed

Speaker 3 9:55

And so my thing was yeah, a made-up story is cool, but how more powerful it is for someone's real, authentic story you know? Revelation tells us, we overcome by the blood of the lamb the power of our testimony and so I feel like that as well, knowing that this is someone's real story, that's something that they struggled with, and them getting baptized in real time.

Speaker 2 10:16

Um, just showed just the power of how God was just moving through the set and how this little short film had to be brought forward.

Speaker 3 10:25

Yes, quite literally.

Speaker 2 10:27

Awesome, awesome. So let's talk about the creative process. What was the most challenging scene or shoot? Oh, I would say, definitely the underwater scene.

Speaker 3 10:38

I would say definitely the underwater scene that one took. One, it was April, so it was still like cold. And two, it was the last scene that we shot for the film and it was like we did maybe a nine ten-hour shoot day and it was late at night and everyone was tired and everyone was was exhausted, and this was my first time trying to shoot underwater. And then, on top of that, like the goggles that we had were not underwater goggles, they were like science goggles, and so water kept getting in and so, um, I had to shoot. I basically shot the entire underwater scene blind and so I just pray like lord, I hope you capture this. Um, and it was by the grace of god that it came out the way that it came out, because I did not see any of the footage until post. But we did it. We did the take multiple times and so um, we, we got the.

Speaker 3 11:35

It was interesting, though the first one, the real baptism, was the one that we ended up using okay, okay, yeah.

Speaker 2 11:42

So are you guys added swimmers?

Speaker 4 11:44

you know, yeah, I can swim, oh yeah oh yeah, I remember on set, um, I did a prank. I was like I hope y'all know what y'all doing, because I can't swim and then everybody got by.

Speaker 2 11:53

I'm like, yeah, that's kind of important. I'm gonna say I was like I'm pretty sure we put on the casting call must be able to swim.

Speaker 3 12:02

Yeah, that's kind of important.

Speaker 2 12:02

I was going to say I'm pretty sure we put on the casting must be able to swim oh yeah yeah did you have a specific audience in mind when making Watched or did you just kind of say, okay, whoever can be blessed by this, I want them to be blessed by. Ultimately, I would say, whoever can be blessed by this, I want them to be blessed by it.

Speaker 3 12:23

Ultimately, I would say whoever can be best by it, of course, but ultimately I think for me it was just other Christian creatives.

Speaker 3 12:34

I wanted to show what was capable of being a Christian, faith-based film without it having that same stereotype of being, you know, cheesy or corny, like a lot of Christian art is considered.

Speaker 3 12:51

And ultimately, this was my senior thesis for Morehouse, and so I was thinking that I want to leave a love letter, Like if this is the last thing I'm making as a filmmaker at this institution. I want it to be the best work I've ever made, and what is the last message that I want to leave? And so I saw it as an opportunity to present the gospel to my peers, and it was amazing that the first showing during our senior showcase afterwards, people like from Spelman and morehouse and a lot of professors who were in the audience uh were saying this was so encouraging like I've never seen a student uh choose to go on a route like this. And so I was seeing in time that um just planting seeds on other creatives and other artists hearts and hopefully inspiring them to be more outspoken about their faith as well and expressing that through their art I love that, because sometimes people aren't especially the younger generation are afraid to you know.

Speaker 2 13:46

Come out and say well, yes, I love the Lord, right, and I want you guys to know that he can save you as well. So I really like that you were not ashamed when you said don't do this, thank you. And like you said, it's not cheesy, it's actually something that you can see in church, because sometimes the films I think they exaggerate you know, about the Christian experience having people falling all out, all over the place and you know just doing a lot of things, that most of the time that is not what is happening actually in the church.

Speaker 2 14:14

You know Right.

Speaker 3 14:16

Right.

Speaker 2 14:17

And Devaria. If you want to chime in, you can.

Speaker 4 14:20

Oh, am I moving too much? I'm a grinning.

Speaker 2 14:23

You know what I'm saying?

Speaker 4 14:25

Okay, I just want to make sure I'm happy to be here. God is so good.

Speaker 2 14:28

God is so good, he really is. He really is yes.

Speaker 4 14:44

I do want to say. It's so much to say. So basically, carter, I relate to carter so much due to the fact that he, um, he was just, he was just ducking god. You know, I'm saying he was just avoiding god the whole time and that's what my life was going through like. I was really, like you know, hiding from god, but then when I finally came to god, he was just waiting for me. He came with open arms. It felt so good.

Speaker 2 15:04

So that's what I want to say and you know what he led right to our next question. That was how has your personal faith influenced your work on the film?

Real-Life Baptism During Filming

Speaker 3 15:13

Oh yeah, for me it was knowing just how much God has brought me from, and so I would say, definitely, it's not something I compartmentalize. I think sometimes we put ourselves in a box and feel like, oh, this is my Christian faith in my life and this is my life outside of the church, but the Lord has been teaching me no, there is synonymous, and so it's leading with that and then also leading with vulnerability. It was. This is not something that, um, I just thought of because I thought it was a great idea. This is something that was lived through and I always wanted. I realized that, um, even just from talking from people about my testimony and things that I've been through and are going through. It's humbling, and then also it helps to connect to people, knowing that sometimes this walk with the Lord is not as easy as people sometimes want it to be.

Speaker 3 16:16

It's hard you know, it's not a linear road. There's ups and downs. You're always constantly going to face trials and storms, and so I think sometimes as well in Christian movies it feels a little hallmarky where it's you just pray really hard and happily ever after. But people go through real life and I wanted to show that.

Speaker 2 16:40

But people go through real life and I wanted to show that I love that. So just chatting with you guys, I can tell that the film actually kind of strengthened your belief as well.

Speaker 3 16:51

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 16:52

Yeah, for sure. So that is just excellent.

Creative Challenges and Process

Speaker 3 17:03

Let's see what's one behind the scenes detail that audience would never guess? Uh, just by watching the movie. Okay, this is, this is one. So there's an art the argument scene where alex and and carter confront each other. Um, that scene wasn't one, was not supposed to be one, take, um, but it was just that the way that it was supposed to be set up, it was it was supposed to be on. They were supposed to be on two separate sides of the hallway and it's supposed to be a wider hallway, but the house we were using it was a very narrow hallway and it was really difficult to get both of them in the shot at the same time. And so it just so happened that there was a mirror behind the guy playing Alex, and so, while we're shooting Alex, you can also see Daivari's character, carter, in the mirror, and so people were like what was your thought process behind that? We were like we didn't even mean to.

Speaker 3 18:00

And it just looked really cool and so I think that was a happy accident that we picked up in post. And then also the party scene. A lot of the dialogue between carter and alex was improvised, like that was not scripted and so often like a lot of the cat, a lot of the crew behind the scenes, behind the camera, we were holding our tongues because some of the dialogue was just so funny and we were not trying to laugh. And it felt so natural between friends and it worked so well.

Speaker 2 18:33

Okay, okay, because I wouldn't have picked that up. I thought you know everything. Like, okay, this is your line.

Speaker 3 18:38

No it was improvised.

Speaker 2 18:40

I love it. No, okay, devar, did you want to add anything else? Just something that you. Devar, did you want to add anything?

Speaker 4 18:47

else. It's something that you Um, uh, he basically said everything, to be honest. Yeah, he basically said everything that happened, for sure, yeah.

Speaker 2 18:59

Okay. So, like I said before we started the interview, what's next for Wash? You guys planning on streaming Any church streamings?

Speaker 3 19:09

So right now, next week, actually, we are doing the Bronze Lens Film Festival in Atlanta, georgia, and so I'm really excited for that, and then we have we're thinking about doing a couple of more festivals just to get it out to other filmmakers and other people as well. Um, it's on youtube now, um, and so some people have been having watch parties with their bible studies and they've been sending me pictures and dms of how, like hey, I got my entire church to watch it, which is crazy to me. Um, people at my job found it and watched it and sent it to a lot of their friends, and so, yeah, it would say a lot of people have been saying we need a sequel, we need a sequel, and so I'm thinking about it. It might be a spinoff, something similar, but I feel like this is probably not the last you're gonna see of these characters.

Speaker 2 20:09

Maybe just let me know, and do you see this short film um stepping stone maybe into a feature-length project?

Next Steps for Washed

Speaker 3 20:22

um, maybe I, or I would say that I feel like the Lord gives me small snippets of ideas and I can definitely see this or one of my other previous short films combining to be a much longer film and so, yeah, I would totally be open to it. So, yeah, it could definitely be a feature length.

Speaker 2 20:46

Awesome sauce, oh man, and I love it that you guys were young men and you're not afraid of the gospel. That just blesses my heart.

Speaker 4 20:58

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 20:59

Oh yeah. So now, how can our listeners support and share the message of what?

Speaker 3 21:07

Oh, they can share the video. The short film is on my youtube channel. Um, god made mo on all platforms. They can share that. Uh, send a link. Um, they can just. Ultimately, the most important thing, continue to intercede, not just for myself, but uh, devarier and other christian filmmakers and artists in different mediums who are making things for the gospel. It's just continues to pour from an overflow and never from an empty cup. I tell people all the time art is huge in influencing the culture. You look at different time periods, like the Renaissance and everything. We identify these time periods because of the art, and so art has a huge influence on the world and although I could maybe preach a message on a pulpit and reach a hundred people, I can make a short of a film about that and reach millions across the world and so, um, I feel god is the original artist.

Speaker 3 22:05

god cares so much about creativity, and I feel like god is the original artist. God cares so much about creativity, and I feel like God is using a bunch of artists in this generation to build his kingdom. And so, yeah, so just pray that God will continue to appoint and anoint creatives with amazing, creative ideas that this world hasn't seen before, for his glory.

Speaker 4 22:24

Awesome man, big man.

Speaker 2 22:26

And how can the listeners follow you guys?

Speaker 3 22:30

so they can follow me on instagram, tiktok, youtube at god made mo g-o-d made m-o-e, on all platforms and I know you're on tiktok.

Support and Connect with Filmmakers

Speaker 2 22:45

Yeah, he is Uh-huh.

Speaker 4 22:47

TikTok. You know what I'm saying. I'm on TikTok spreading the gospel D-E-V-A-R-I-Y-A-Y. You know vibes. You know Instagram too. Instagram too, but I'm mostly active on TikTok.

Speaker 2 23:01

Okay, I'm going to follow you then. Okay, because I know I'm following you on Instagram and on Facebook, but not on TikTok. I'm still trying to learn TikTok because I'm more seasoned than you guys. I'll do it. Okay, brittany, did you have anything? Brittany is my producer, director, editor. She actually makes Little Short Films herself. Oh, amazing, that was her major over at Clark Mass Media.

Speaker 3 23:30

That's amazing. They have a great program too. I've got to connect with a lot of people from clark in their field.

Speaker 1 23:34

Oh yeah, it's cool that we could like at ac. You could just like take classes at yeah campuses and stuff yeah well what? I always ask the question whenever we interview people in the film industry, like what is your favorite um genre and your favorite movie? Oh I knew this was coming.

Speaker 3 23:52

Oh man, oh, I would say my favorite movie always changes, but I would say, oh man, it's like choosing kids. I would say, for cinematography I love, do the right thing. Oh, I mean, you know, I went to more house. I feel like I gotta say spike lee for dialogue. I'm a huge fan of andy sorkin, so the social network is one of the. I read the script multiple times. One of my favorite pieces of literature, um, but then overall, my favorite, just fun to watch, is La La Land, directed by Damien Giselle. I've always, I feel like musicals has been like a dying film genre and me having like a. My family comes from, my mom comes from like a theater background, her side of the family. I've always loved musicals and so it was almost like a love letter to the city of LA and inspired me. I was like, wow, we should have a love letter to the city of Atlanta. There's so many artists and so many creatives, so I just thought it was so beautiful. So I would say those are probably three of my favorite films.

Speaker 1 25:04

Okay, those are good. I love a good musical too. That'd be really cool. You should look.

Speaker 2 25:11

I got a letter too because she's she's in atlanta as well oh, awesome okay devaria. What's your favorite genre?

Speaker 1 25:21

genre and movie genre.

Speaker 4 25:24

Okay, you know I'm, I like a rom-com, I like a rom-com. So yeah, movie Dang Narnia, I like Adventure, you know.

Speaker 1 25:36

The Chronicle of Narnia.

Speaker 4 25:38

No, the Book of Narnia.

Speaker 1 25:39

The Book of.

Speaker 4 25:40

Narnia yeah with the lion, oh yeah the lion was in the wardrobe.

Speaker 1 25:44

Yeah, I used to yeah.

Speaker 2 25:45

Yeah, my kids love that yeah.

Speaker 4 25:46

Yeah, it was Christian, it's Lewis yeah.

Speaker 1 25:49

That's crazy.

Speaker 2 25:55

Yeah, okay, awesome. So I think, guys, um, we sure appreciate you guys taking time out your business schedule to hang out with us on conference chit chat, and I want you guys to come back because I know you guys are going to do big and great things in the future, oh for sure. And y'all will be back on Coffee Chit Chat to tell us all about it and we're going to promote, promote, promote for y'all, okay, y'all. We're going to leave you guys with our quote of the week Always keep your heart and mind focused on the goodness and beauty of God.