In addition to its storytelling work, FFG functions as the archival and digitization branch of its parent company, Film Tour Studio—a cinematic production house committed to preserving and celebrating the human experience through film.

This ongoing project reimagines how families connect, document, and preserve their legacies through intentional visual storytelling through curated exhibitions and the mindful preservation of family archives and cherished collections. 

Founded by a millennial Black father of Haitian descent, FFG was born from a deep desire to pass on the richness of cultural heritage to the next generation. With two living grandparents (ages 88 and 95) and a new generation rising, his daughter, niece, and nephew all under the age of 4, Mike stands at a meaningful intersection, using his lens to hold space for memory, migration, and legacy within Black and Afro-Caribbean communities.

FFG’s goal is to set a blueprint for other family members who find themselves the trusted bridge between generations in their families, to recognize their roles as cultural stewards, behind the camera or not. Through community-based archiving, workshops, and exhibitions, the project will build trust within families, encouraging them to share their archives and stories—reminding everyone that history isn’t just what’s written, it’s what’s remembered and passed on.

Since 2021, FFG has digitized and curated the stories of three distinct families. Weaving together personal interviews, photographic portraiture, and community archiving.

– One whose journey north continues to shape their legacy

– Another redefining the meaning of home after loss.

– And one driven to preserve a legacy after losing their sole support system in the U.S.

FFG: A Family Practice is a call to gather, remember, and reimagine. It centers the home as the first archive, museum, and classroom. Inviting us to reflect on a vital question: How do we preserve what matters most?

Through a portrait series featuring Silent Generation icon and great-grandmother, Erma J. Sias Bien-Aimé, this exhibition us offers audiences to explore the connections that link their generations—offering a deeply personal yet universally resonant meditation on family, memory, and legacy.

Central to this exhibition is a 2021 interview co-produced by Sweet Water Foundation’s Executive Director, Emmanuel Pratt, and Film Tour Studio’s Creative Director, Mike David T, tracing Erma’s sacred connection to water and the ancestral wells of the Deep South.

🎧 Spotify Interview: Listen

Flowing from this offering is a curated playlist by model and artist Lulu Grace, born from a tender, intergenerational exchange with her great-grandmother, Erma J. Sias Bien-Aimé—where sound and memory move together, echoing across time.

🎶 Spotify Playlist: Listen

Portrait Photography by photographer and journalist Mustafa Hussain

Oil Painting Portrait by Rana Sadek

Available for public view at Mana Contemporary Chicago, 9th Floor, Mana Highlight Wall
Dates: April 26 – July 6, 2025 

Times: 9a – 8p CT, daily

If you're interested in hosting or sponsoring this series after July 6, we’d love to connect with you!