Little Simz stars in new short film ‘I Love You, I Hate You’

Little Simz has released a new short film called ‘I Love You, I Hate You’, based on the track of the same name from her latest album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’.

The film is directed by Sam Pilling, who has worked on music videos for artists including Major Lazer and The Weeknd, released as part of a collaboration with WeTransfer’s art and culture platform WePresent.

Simz created the story and also stars alongside Shaniqua Okwok, C.J. Beckford, and Sonia Ajuwa, with a script by Caroline Adeyemi.

Speaking of the film, the London rapper said in a statement: ‘I Love You, I Hate You’ is the story of abandonment. How trauma can affect us in our adult lives if never confronted. I wanted to make this film because I feel it’s a universal story that many people can relate to.

“It’s been incredible to work with a partner like WePresent who are so invested in telling stories like this. They understood and trusted my vision from the jump and had my back to create the film I set out to make.”

Simz has also acted before in Marvel’s ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ In 2019, and starred as Shelley in season three of ‘Top Boy’.

Watch the 22-minute film below.

Last month the Simz also released a music video for ‘I Love You, I Hate You,’ which tackles the similar parental themes in the short film. “Are you a sperm donor or a dad to me?” she sings in one verse.

In a September interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper said: “As much as it’s written about him [her dad], it’s not about him. It’s about me and my feelings about it all and how this is affecting my relationships in my life.”

She also explained the emotional growth she experienced to be able to release that type of song. 

“I don’t think I was emotionally mature enough to tackle something like that. Had I released it then, it probably would’ve just been lots of ‘Fuck you.’” she said.

“This time around, even though that energy is there, it’s also me acknowledging: ‘Well, actually, you were just a boy and you probably had your own childhood traumas or things that you had to deal with in your life that I am not aware of, which could’ve led to why you wasn’t able to be a good father.’”