Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1485934
9 6 P E R S P E C T I V E | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 I received the script for Nanny as I was wrapping a feature in Wilmington, NC, in early spring of 2021. It was a demanding job and I was desperate for a break. Nikyatu Jusu's script, however, absorbed me and flooded my imagination with images. Each page enticed me with a unique visual language, surreal tone and otherworldly detail that led me to daydream about designing her film. I knew my break between projects would have to be brief. I wanted to do this film. My interview with writer/director Nikyatu was fresh and informative. It was evident that she had delved deeply into these characters and knew their histories thoroughly. Our conversation focused on her own African mother leaving home to care for other children under her charge as a nanny. Nikyatu wanted to tell a stylized horror story steeped in reality that could seamlessly weave between fantasy and nonfiction. We spoke in detail about the evolution of the mythological creatures: "Mami Wata" and "Anansi." They had to be M a n i f e s t i n g t h e M y t h o l o g y T H E D E S I G N O F N A N N Y B Y J O N AT H A N G U G G E N H E I M , P R O D U C T I O N D E S I G N E R A