Vimeo and Mailchimp Shine a Light on Black-Owned Businesses

“I’ve been in and out of this shop throughout my life and spent enough time there to see the community spirit and vibrant character the owner and the customers have. I felt this shop had a story to tell,” says filmmaker Troy Browne of Mitchell’s the Bowl, a West Indian grocery in Nottingham, England. Browne created the five-minute mini-doc below, one of seven films in a grant-funded series from Vimeo and Mailchimp spotlighting Black directors and Black-owned businesses from around the world. Combining cut-out animations with in-store interviews, Browne introduces viewers to Claudette Mitchell, whose father founded the store six decades ago. As its owner for the past 25 years, Claudette has carried on a tradition of service and camaraderie. Now, she plans to retire and turn over the reins to the next generation: It’s an affecting tale of a family’s love for their work and neighbors. Of long hours and tireless struggle for success. Of the bonds that owners form with customers and the varied flavors, literal and figurative, their efforts add to everyday life. “I hope people watch this film and get a look at a world they may not have seen—escape to a small place that would go…
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