Barry Jenkins' Moonlight: A Three-Chapter Coming-of-Age Story

Barry Jenkins' film 'Moonlight' is structured in three chapters—Little, Chiron, and Black—tracing the life of its protagonist, Chiron. The project originated from a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, developed at a drama school, and was brought to Jenkins by producer Adele Romanski. Jenkins saw it as a solid and interesting idea, drawing on parallels between his own adolescence and McCraney's. The film features three actors portraying Chiron at different ages: Alex R. Hibbert as the young boy, Ashton Sanders as the teenager, and Trevante Rhodes as the adult. Chiron grows up in a poor black neighborhood in Miami, bullied for his demeanor, with a drug-addicted mother and a drug dealer as a father figure. A key relationship with a classmate, Kevin, is explored. After a violent incident, Chiron is sent to reform school in Atlanta, where he later becomes a drug dealer himself. Years later, a phone call from Kevin prompts a reunion. The film is noted for its warm cinematography, perfect music, and strong performances, including Naomie Harris. It was released in 2016 by A24 and Plan B Entertainment, running 111 minutes.