Coach has released a short film titled “Words Matter”, directed by Spike Lee, who is fresh off a win for BlacKkKlansman at Sunday’s Academy Awards. The short film stars actor Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther), the global face of Coach menswear. According to a press release, it was shot in the desert near Los Angeles in the fall. Coach wanted to convey its values of inclusion, optimism, and courage through the short film, which feel particularly important in today’s political climate.
“Words Matter” features Jordan riding through a dusty desert on a desert on a motorcycle, sporting a black leather biker jacket and matching leather pants. During a stop in a seemingly abandoned area, he gets off his bike, only to come across fragments of concrete engraved with words like “Hatred,” “Evil,” “Bigotry” and “Lies” among the debris. He takes the rocks and throws them far away, and replaces them with new ones with the words “Courage,” “Truth,” “Love” and “Dream” instead, before riding off. Lee and Jordan, both who had never worked together prior to this film, collaborated in choosing the words.
Lee’s children, daughter Satchel—who is the creative director at DRØME Magazine—and son Jackson, co-wrote the short with their father. Satchel and Lee will also be directing a series of shorts featuring other Coach collaborators such as the artist Whisbe, Nets player Spencer Dinwiddie, as well as the Lee children themselves. The videos will further the “Words Matter” film’s message, with these figures discussing why words matter.
