In 1937, cynical and disgraced Harlem private eye Harry Wisk is investigating the murder of a rich and powerful white man while he navigates past relationships, a web of lies, and his own “criminal” history.
We’re Not in Harlem Anymore is a proof of concept for a feature length pulpy throwback to detective classics like The Maltese Falcon and Murder My Sweet and inserts Black representation into a genre where it’s glaringly missing––noir.
Support this independent film and help us raise $15,000 by January 16, 2026. Backers will be directly supporting production, post-production, and marketing/distribution costs including:
Humans who worked in front and behind the camera on the one day shoot;
Original composition, live music recording, and sound mixing;
Costs of festival submissions, and more.
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The feature length project is called, ‘The Devil’s Shadow’ and is writer / creator Tarik Rashaan Davis’ bridge between the “Golden Age of Hollywood” and Black America. It is a stylish classic noir whodunnit that pays homage to the films of the 1930’s and 40’s and told from a Black perspective. The story mixes together history, folklore and melodrama. While cinephiles may see a well worn path of the black and white murder mystery, the creative team sees the glaring need for cultural, racial and social updating and revamping that many classic film genres have avoided or refused.
Making this proof of concept is a major step towards making a feature length film, and a community of supporters makes it all possible.
The exclusion of significant Black voices in classic films has bothered Tarik, an actor and avid-movie-watcher, his whole life. Why does “noir” which is “black” in French have such little Black representation? While translations of “dark film” and “obscure film” are commonly used, it was always the translation of “Black Film” that stood out for Tarik. Noir is a genre typically discussed as being born post-WW2, when white America was becoming disillusioned and cynical. This project assumes that the post-war pulp fiction that we typically see on screen, was the pre-war pulp reality for Black people.
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Featuring
Kelly AuCoin as Archie Long
Tarik Rashaan Davis as Harry Wisk
Lynn R. Guerra as Selene Frost
Ben Jaeger-Thomas as Maxwell Miller
Rafael Jordan as Bumpy JohnsonTarik Rashaan Davis writer / co-director / producer
Laura K. Nicoll co-director / producer
Michael Patti director of photography
Mark Stetson assistant director / editor / producer
Arthur Lewis music composer
Nicolle Allen costume design
Alex Purifoy first assistant camera
Connor James second assistant camera
Reed Neeson gaffer
Harrison Rusk key grip
Andrew Siedenburg audio
Elliott Simpson hair
Jessica Beck makeup
Jonathan Allen painter
Amanda Kuhn script supervisor
Vincent Reynolds production design assistant
Matan Berman production assistant
Ruben Salveso production assistantTeaser edited by Mark Stetson with Voice Over by Kevin R. Free.