Knott (left) with Danridge (right): Knott says Maliek was crucial to the community and a person of value. Knott said creating the documentary was “deeply personal” because it was more so a fulfilled request by Maliek himself and a call to action for people dealing with depression. Knott and Dan ridge also collaborated on one of Knott’s film projects BluVonte: The Final Chapters. Photo submitted We often hear the saying, “Check on your loved ones, especially the strong ones who carry a heavy weight in silence.” One early spring morning at 7:38 a.m., last April, Atlanta-based filmmaker, writer, director, and producer Corey Knott received a call that changed his life forever. This call was devastating news; he lost one of his closest friends, Maliek Danridge, to suicide. One in three rural Black men reported they experienced suicidal ideation or thoughts of death in the past two weeks, reports a new study from the University of Georgia. Childhood adversity and racism may hold much of the blame. “I just remember feeling sad and hurt, and there were so many questions circulating in my mind,” he said. “I didn’t cry at once; I was still in shock, and I had a little time to prepare before the public found out.” However, all the emotions started racing to Knott as he received even more calls from other friends and castmates. This feeling of grief was all too close to home for Knott, as he had also once lost a cast member who was killed in Atlanta in a car accident. As far as Maliek, his dear friend, says, he didn’t want him to hurt anymore. “I’ve seen him break down; no one saw that behind closed doors. Maliek was tall and big, but to see what he was suffering through was catastrophic and emotional,” he said. “It was not a burden to take on the task of documenting his journey; it was an extreme pleasure to do that for him.” Knott also said Maliek would tell people he wanted to document his life, but never in a million years did Knott think that’s what this was about. “I thought maybe it was cancer or something like that, but I never knew what it truly was until it was too late,” he said. After Maliek’s death, Knott began creating a short documentary called “The Weight He Carried”. The documentary is not rooted in fiction, but in loss, and serves as an emotional tribute as viewers explore the life, legacy, and lasting impact of a man who transformed beauty into empowerment. The short documentary also examines high-functioning depression, the pressure to be the “strong one,” and the gutting reality that those who heal others are often hurting the most themselves. Knott’s storytelling consistently centers Black and LGBTQ lives with honesty and emotional depth. As the founder of HD Productions Network, Knott has built a powerful outlet for independent scripted series, films, and documentaries that explore love, grief, chosen family, and survival. Knott sat with The Atlanta Voice reporter Isaiah Singleton to discuss the short documentary, the process of creating it, healing, advice, and more. ‘The Weight He Carried’ also examines high-functioning depression, the pressure to be the “strong one,” and the gutting reality that those who heal others are often hurting the most themselves. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice Maliek Danridge: ‘The Weight He Carried’ Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Black Americans between the ages of 15 and 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide is particularly prevalent among Black men, who die by suicide at a rate more than four times that of Black women. From transforming lives in his salon to building a powerful legacy as a Black entrepreneur, Maliek’s untimely passing has left countless hearts broken. Known lovingly as “King Maliek,” he was more than a master stylist; he was a source of inspiration, a mentor, and a beloved soul in both Philadelphia and Atlanta. With a friendship that has only grown tighter since 2018, Knott says Maliek had a bubbly personality and was highly creative. “If your plane ever went down and you got stuck on an island, we are going to eat, drink, and have a fun time,” Knott said. “He will also mask his pain, but at the end of the day, I am a professional masker, so I would let him know he could talk to me.” Maliek, he says, could see into your soul, and was a person who was very vibrant, outgoing, and always there for his friends and community.  “His mouth held none, and that’s what I was so enamored by because for years I’ve had to go the professional route because of what I do, so I have to watch my words,” he said. “Maliek on the other hand, was the opposite of that. He was professional but didn’t hold his tongue, and when we went out, I felt safe; he was a person you could feel safe around.” Knott says Maliek was crucial to the community and a person of value. Also, Knott said creating the documentary was “deeply personal.” For Knott, it was more so a fulfilled request by Maliek himself and a call to action for people dealing with depression. Knott and Danridge also collaborated on one of Knott’s film projects, BluVonte: The Final Chapters. “This is Maliek’s personal story of survival and story. There was something we had discussed that he talked to me personally about, and for a while, he kept saying he wanted me to tell his story, and I never knew what that meant until he revealed to me what it meant,” he said. While creating the documentary, Knott said he struggled with it at first, contemplating if it was even right to share Maliek’s story. Subsequently, Knott says he feels Maliek was with him throughout the entire process of creating ‘The Weight He Carried.’ He said he was not documenting grief solely but holding someone else’s truth in his hands; in this case, it was his dear friend, whom he wanted to tell his truth while allowing Maliek to still have his dignity.  “I wasn’t intentionally going to even do the documentary because a lot of the personal things he did share, I was not putting it in simply because he was not here in the present form,” he said. “The things I felt he would like for me to share with the world had a lot to do with the weight he was carrying, dealing with, and the uphill battle he was constantly going through.” Life gets tricky, especially as an entrepreneur, because as a self-employer, you make it work regardless, Knott said. He also says it’s extremely hard when you’re the first to do it in your circle/family, all while battling things mentally. “I felt like Maliek was sitting right there with me when I was editing. and there were moments that were really funny that I felt like he was talking to me, telling me to put this here and there,” he said. “This was his baby from the beginning, this is what he wanted, I just executed it without him being here in the present.” Advice, healing, more When people watch the documentary, Knott said he wants people to take away the lesson of paying attention to red flags and watching out for your friends, especially the strong ones. “The strong ones normally tend to be the ones carrying all the weight, and by weight, I mean your emotions,” he said. “Whenever you call your strong friends and expect them to sit and listen to your problems, 10 out of 10 times, they’re battling something themselves, so they take on the weight of family members, close friends, best friends, and sometimes associates you’re not even close with and they feel all of that, but never take the time to heal themselves.” The healing part of all of this, Knott said, is realizing by honoring Maliek’s truth, he’s opened doors for others to recognize it in themselves. As for advice to men and black men specifically, Knott said it’s best to let trauma go in ways such as therapy. For him, Knott said going to see a therapist has helped him along the way “It’s always best to let that go, and what I mean by that is to find someone. For me, this was finding a therapist who helped me tremendously, because I didn’t even know what I was dealing with before Maliek’s death,” he said. “We often bottle our emotions and trauma up and don’t ever know what we’re going through, and so many people are going through the same things.” He also said when you confide in someone you trust, you learn you’re not the only one going through these things, and in turn, it opens many doors because people want to be seen and heard. “No matter what you do, you can be the most creative person, the most successful person, but sometimes people feel things differently than others, where you’re always there for other people 100%, but when it’s time for you to need someone to confide in, no one’s there,” he said. “Maliek felt the rut of that, and it’s not fair to those who give 110% and we get the butt of it all; it makes a person feel lower than low.” Knott says he dislikes Maliek having to feel that way and endure those feelings because he wishes he could’ve seen the love so many people had for him. This call to action is to reach another soul, communicate with people to let them know they’re not the only ones who are dealing with depression and anxiety. “I deal with anxiety all the time, sweat and sweaty palms, but when you start talking about things you’re dealing with, you’ll find other people are experiencing the same thing you are,” he said. “There is a community of people that can band together and help you with whatever it is that you’re going through.” For advice to anyone who has friends battling depression or anxiety, Knott tells readers to be kind, present, visible, and ask questions. He also says when you’re dealing with someone who has depression or is in their head and deep in thought all the time, people knowingly say and do things to trigger a reaction because they know how you may feel about a certain thing. “Check in on your circle. Show up for birthdays because you may think it doesn’t bother people, but it does,” he said. “Also, watch your words. As a creative and entrepreneur, we have built our momentum and heightened our elevated anxiety alerts for events we curate, so for someone to come through and belittle it with words, it hurts more deeply than anyone can imagine.” The post Corey Knott debuts ‘The Weight He Carried’ in honor of late friend Maliek Danridge appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less