Everyone seems to know everything about Megan Thee Stallion.

From her meteoric rise through the music industry’s upper echelons to the 2020 shooting of Tory Lanez and the subsequent lawsuit that led to misinformation and a bitter division in the hip-hop community, people online and in the industry believed they were watching every detail. the heights were the life of the Houston-born rapper. That’s why the rapper, born Megan Pete, had to make a documentary to reclaim her story – ‘In Her Words’.

That’s the message underscored at the Manhattan premiere of the Prime Video documentary, directed by Nneka Onuorah. In a live broadcast of the premiere in Los Angeles, Megan and Onuorah talked about the filmmaking process. Onuorah explained that her first meeting with the rapper turned into a three-hour crying session. The Emmy-winning director knew that “my life purpose was to support and uplift a young woman through her journey of grief and trauma – using my art as a tool.”

But above all, Onuorah emphasized that of all her films, “This film means the world to me. It is a portrait of resilience and a timeless artifact to remind women of their true inner strength.” The director then introduced Megan, who was regally dressed in a purple silk dress and an updo. The artist was immediately overwhelmed with emotion as the LA audience roared, not quite aware of the roar in my New York City theater.

The rapper, who suffered a lot from the internet hate campaigns and misogyny before and during the trial of Lanez, stated: “I started to see how a lot of people started to dehumanize me and a lot of people tried to take control of my life . story and tell my story.”

But four years after the shooting, the 29-year-old said she was ready to open up about her life. “Let me just go ahead and tell my truth and put it on the table because y’all respect nothing but raw and honesty. I tried to be a celebrity to you. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” she said.

Salon’s interview with director Nneka Onuorah highlights the experience of making a documentary where we see Onuorah and Megan’s “closeness and intimacy” and how Megan Thee Stallion exists as a symbol of empowerment for women.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was it about Megan that initially caught your eye and really made you know this was the right project for you?

What struck me is that a young woman went through a transformation, went through fire, and I knew she was on her way to becoming a beautiful phoenix. And so it was kind of a coming-of-age story. I felt like the combination of Megan Thee Stallion going through the most successful point in her career while Megan Pete was struggling gave it an internal conflict that I think people can really learn a lesson from. So that was a no-brainer for me in terms of the next movie I wanted to make.

The documentary is called ‘In Her Words’. How did Megan reclaim the story of her life and career? How did you help her along the way?

Megan was so brave to expose the most difficult point in her life. She didn’t have to do this. I feel like myself as a filmmaker, so I didn’t use sit-down interviews and had a lot of other people talking. I wanted a first-person experience up close and personal, very intimate access with Megan. So I had to offer myself as a safe space where she could come and really share her thoughts, share her emotions and feelings and observe her day in and day out. I took time out of my life, almost three years out of my life, to be able to dedicate myself to showing that experience, because I knew it would be timeless. It will be a timeless document for women to see: ‘How do I go from a state of powerlessness to a state of power by activating my own inner strength, my inner vulnerability?’ and use that as strength. The motif of Megan Thee Stallion versus Megan Pete shows this perfectly.

Megan is a big anime fan and the same style can be seen in her music videos like ‘BOA’ and ‘Neva Play’. Some of the most traumatic moments of Megan’s life, such as her mother’s death, the 2020 shooting and subsequent trial, are all told through animation. Why was animation the right move to retell these tough life moments?

First of all, I always try to figure out what does this artist like? I knew Meg loved anime. But besides that, there are so many conversations and images about her external experience, but what can her internal experience tell us? It is equally important to know what someone is going through inside. I felt like it would be a strong visualization of what she was going through, whether it was nightmares, anxiety therapy, but also memories of her mother that you know she has in her head but she can’t hold on to. them. I also wanted to give a visualization of what she was going through because I wanted Megan to look back and look at this and say, “Wow, that’s how strong I am.” Or, “Oh my God, look at that beautiful time I had with my mother.” I wanted this to be something she could think about for herself. So I felt like because she loved anime and gave the gift of her own story, she would love the anime and receive it that way.

It was one of my favorite parts of the documentary. Other standout moments include when Megan leans over hot chips or when she admits she lied to Gayle King on “Good Morning America” in 2022. How did you end up in such a vulnerable place with Megan? Was it a challenge as a filmmaker?

I wouldn’t say it was a challenge. I would say my job was to be able to walk away with this movie and I think creating that bond and that friendship was something real. When I shot the chip scene, you can hear my voice talking through it. I gave her space where I was like, “Yo, why don’t you want to eat?” I was just a person for her and gave her space to express her frustration and have an outlet for it. Where does she have to go to do that? So I gave her space. I gave her a platform. I listened. I think listening really created a closeness and intimacy. Sometimes you just want people to relate to you and understand you. I really understood her. I get it, girl, I get it. I like food. So if things don’t go well there and you experience stress, it can end up in something else. At those moments I put the camera on. I think that’s what made it different. It’s like people, a lot of other filmmakers try to calm down and make a movie based on what they think, but I let the truth be what it is. That’s what filmmaking is and that’s my style of filmmaking.

Part of this truth lies in the loss of Megan’s mother, Holly Thomas, and her mother’s personal grief. Have you found that there are some misconceptions about Megan’s personal grief and the public persona she has built?

I think they just forget that Megan Thee Stallion is human – so is Megan Pete. Megan Thee Stallion is such an example of feminist strength and an icon and a strong woman. People forget that as a strong black woman you can also be vulnerable. You may also experience pain. Those two things may be true and that experiencing something does not make you less strong. Being strong doesn’t stop you from going through things. That’s where that came from and what was important about it to me.

A large part of this is because the hip-hop industry has abused Megan with exploitative record deals, feuds with rappers, and the spread of misinformation online. What about the industry that Megan’s experience helped you discover while filming this movie?

I have learned that the industry is deeply misogynistic and that they are intimidated by a woman who only deeply honors herself for herself. Audre Lorde’s “The Power of the Erotic” was a real inspiration for this. It’s about how women have to say yes to themselves: their erotic nature, their empowerment and it’s not always at the service of men. So I made the film because it highlights that and how the industry is threatened by that and how patriarchy is threatened by that. What I have learned about the industry is that it is deeply patriarchal. That made me want to do it even more, to show one woman’s journey through two women.

Ultimately, we ultimately see the emotional outpouring Megan experiences when Tory Lanez is convicted of the shooting. What was it like seeing it in real time? What message do you hope this documentary and Megan’s story leaves people with?

I was deeply emotional. I saw Meg go through everything. So to see her have that justice and that liberation, that scream, it just captured my heart. I want people to refrain from telling the truth, to stand up for themselves, to not be afraid to be vulnerable, and not to try to always present themselves as strong. But allow yourself to get through these moments. I say the only way out is the road. It’s not avoidance, it’s just working through things so you can get through it. That’s what’s so great about this movie. What I want people to take away from this film is that they know that as women they have an inner strength, innate, and that they can access it if they just continue to stand up to the opposition.

“In Her Words” is now available to stream on Prime Video.