Ava DuVernay. Photo: [email protected]
While the coronavirus pandemic was tragically beginning to strike the country, director and film producer Ava DuVernay held true to form, premiering her new series “Cherish the Day” on OWN Network. The first season of the heartfelt anthology captured the story of two star-crossed lovers, Gently and Evan, while navigating through their complex relationship in Los Angeles, California. Ava is a heart surgeon when it comes to her God-given talent, and with this series, she tugged at the heartstrings of people from all walks of life.
This week, the series was renewed for a second season, which means the audience will receive a new couple with a new story to fall in love with. Here are five love languages the series explores that will hopefully explain why a series like “Cherish the Day” is necessary to watch at a time like this:
1. Love is life
DuVernay, also among the writers for the series, based the anthology in her hometown of Los Angeles with a desire to film at locations that have not been seen on television. She incorporated scenes of Gently’s neighborhood and hangout spots while redefining the common definition of “hood” – presenting it as a community that protects one another at all costs.
2. Love is not a fairytale
DuVernay captured the nuanced and complicated versions of Black love. Gently and Evan go through the extraordinary moments of their courtship and engagement phase, to the dark places a marriage can find couples in. The couple gives therapy a chance. And in the finale, there still is no answer as to whether their relationship will continue to evolve or cease. It gives the viewer a chance to write the ending.
3. Don’t give up on love
Gently and Evan come from two different parts of LA. Even though their different stories have the capability of creating a wedge between them, they choose to give their love a try anyway. This inspiration could be applied to not only romantic relationships but also to friendships and familial relationships that exist in our lives.
4. Love in the moment
Even though the series spans the course of several years, each scene — no matter how simple or grand — is heartfelt and worthy of being remembered.
5. Love’s destination is in your heart
Gently has a complicated background that includes her mother not being present in her life and a close family friend raising her rather than her own parents. As Gently may have doubted her worthiness of love, Evan shows her that she was, indeed, worthy of being loved and loved well.
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