Harriet — Celina West

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I served as Cynthia’s full-time local assistant for the duration of pre-production and filming. A Richmonder for 6 years with a diverse production portfolio, I leveraged local connections and resources to build a roster of trusted vendors to ensure Cynthia felt at home during her stay. I maintained intimate knowledge of production schedules and pace which influenced key decisions with respect to Cynthia’s daily operations. I liaised with the production office regarding logistics to allow Cynthia to focus on the work. I drove Cynthia to and from set daily, and of course, shopped and cleaned when necessary.

Harriet was received incredibly well and Cynthia was nominated for many awards, not the least of which being 2 Oscars and 2 Golden Globes.

This is one of the first scenes we shot. The energy on set was amazing as we were still taking in the historical sites and the constructed sets, it made you feel like you were there with Harriet.

Cynthia singing to the freedom seekers was always incredible. This was the first singing scene we shot, it was golden hour and it was magical.

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The 2 Combahee River days were the most moving scenes to shoot. Massive sets with hundreds of background and seeing Harriet commanding them all was incredible. The whole crew was in tears.

This was one of the coldest days on production and Cynthia was up to her neck in freezing cold water holding a heavy gun in the air. The crew silent and stock still, holding their breath until Kasi called cut so we could get her out of the water and into a coat.