GOLD TEETH
GOLD TEETH
GOLD TEETH
GOLD TEETH
DIRECTED BY MALAKAI
The mythological myth of Midas re-envisioned through the legend of MANSA MUSA, “Gold Teeth” tells the story of Goldie, a failed entrepreneur who discovers powers latent within her ancestry that promise to make her incredibly rich. Yet, even with the “golden touch” of Mansa Musa at her command, Goldie pays a heavy price when she descends into madness.
SUMMARY
GOLD TEETH is an adventurous and frantic odyssey, reconstructing many archetypes of ancient mythology and marrying them with Black magical surrealism and fantasy.
Our story begins in 2021 on the set of the longest standing investigative pop-culture news segment, " EPOCH", interviewed by world renowned CULTURE journalist, Jay Daniels. His goal is to uncover Goldie's truth.
At the beginning of our story GOLDIE is a world renowned business mogul and iconic legend in the fashion and jewelry world. Her sudden self removal from the spotlight along with tales of her chaotic rise to fame catalyze an incredible interest in uncovering her story.
Who is she really?
Why did she drop out of the spotlight? How did she come to lead the greatest jewelry empire ever known to the modern world? Through a mix of multimedia story beats on “GRILL CULTURE,” Goldie tells us the story through her own voice at the height of her incredible legend.
As Goldie retells the origins of her multi-billion dollar jewelry empire, we follow the reality of her rise through a series of surrealist narrative beats in parallel with the myths being weaved in the documentary. And just like that, we go back to where it all began; Houston, Texas in the early 2000's. Through the film, Goldie becomes the architect of legend, taking on the persona of her ancient ancestor, MANSA MUSA, while building the empire she deserves.
OUR STORY
Goldie, a charismatic, ingenious and competitive soul often finds that life is what you make it. If you want something, YOU should TAKE it. Like MANY legends, Goldie’s own legacy begins with ascension.
Our core narrative begins in Houston, Texas during the early 2000’s. Goldie, a failed entrepreneur and freshly expelled college dropout dreams of being successful. She believes that something greater remains out there for her.
Often struggling to stand on her own two feet, Goldie’s get rich quick schemes catapult her further into debt, leaving her to face the contradictions of who she IS with who she truly wants to BE. She doesn’t know what the future holds and that is what frightens her the most. At heart, she’s a hustler. She’s never given up. Until now.
At 25 years old, Goldie only knows that whatever she does, she wants to leave a legacy of wealth for those coming after.
Success is her birthright. It’s in her blood.
A FALLEN KING INTO AN UNKNOWN WORLD, WE RELIVE AND RELEASE.
THE FOCUS OF MANSA MUSA
Reshaping the ancient tale of Midas, we’ve instead re-envisioned it as a herald for Black culture. Due to hours of research on the resurgence and path of great mythologies, the idea of “taking back” our myths and resurfacing them through the African Diaspora felt like the only way to make this film.
This was quite a burden to take on, but so needed within the constant shifting of misinformation in the world today.
The core result leaves us with an elevated film & activation that mystifies the iconography of Mansa Musa, the WEALTHIEST, man in the world.
A West African ruler within the 14th century, Mansa Musa, even in the present, is the richest man to have ever lived. With a net worth of over 400 billion dollars, Mansa Musa was an ancient ruler of the Malian empire.
ABOUT THE REAL MANSA
Mansa Musa, ruler of nations and legions of wealth was but a mere man. Although rich, it is said he had a heart of gold. But his life wasn’t always this way. As a child, Mansa was often sick, yet the Gods always prevailed in raising him up from those who wished on his downfall. As Mansa’s riches were passed down to him, he always made sure to call on his ancestors and on Allah for the power to rule with a kind heart, free from greed. While not much of him remains a mystery, until today, it's an honor to create an homage and educational resource to the lineage of someone so powerful.
ORIGINS
This film explores the vastness of Black history. It is an ode to the wealthiest Black man in the world. With all of his riches, Mansa asked Allah one thing; to preserve the wealth of his ancestors and pass it down through his lineage. As Mansa passed his wealth to his descendants, he asked only that they treat their power of “wealth” as a gift and not a curse.
As the world began to hear about Mansa Musa’s power [rumored to be magic] his descendants buried were sought out for legend that their blood was protected by Mansa’s spirit itself. A spirit of pride and ancestry. Over time, Mansa’s legend of opulence and wealth became dim and the world began to slowly forget just who their ancestor was. They forgot his lineage dripping with power and they began to misuse the strength they were given. They succumbed to the world of power and greed.
It is rumored that any ancestor who wanted to have their forefather’s riches had only to ask and Mansa would appear through an ancient deity to give back.
We welcome this iconography and bring forth the world of Gold Teeth. A film that combines both.