Kristin Shipley – Contributor

Who could forget the classic “Love and Basketball?”

It’s the story about two teenagers who grow up together and realize their love for each other through their love for basketball?

And then there was “The Secret Life of Bees,” a film about a young girl who finds out about her mother’s past when she runs away to live with the ladies who knew her.

No stranger to compelling films, Director Gina Prince-Bythewood tells a unique love story in her newest film, “Beyond the Lights.”

We are introduced to pop star Noni Jean as a kid in a talent show singing Nina Simone’s “Blackbird.” Managed by her ruthless mom, Noni evolves to sing hyper sexualized music as a popular singer.

“It just seems that at this point right now, there’s a definite competition to push the envelope. There are times when I’m watching videos and my mouth is literally open, like, what am I watching right now. So I just want to change the conversation,” said Prince-Bythewood, who interviewed famous pop stars for a more authentic portrayal, in an interview with Jezebel.

Scantily clad and donning leather bodysuits, the “Rihanna-esque” pop star seeks an escape to the glamorous, but lonely life of stardom.

In a cry for help, she attempts to commit suicide. Thankfully, the security guard on duty, Kaz, played by Nate Parker from The Great Debaters, pulls her up from the ledge to save her before she fell. He utters three words that convince her to live: “I see you.”

In the midst of paparazzi, rumors and celebrity status Noni and Kaz begin to get to know each other off camera and out of the spotlight, beyond the lights.

Although “Beyond the Lights” is a love story, the main focus is not on love between two people, but on loving yourself.

“It was very important for me that this film was not just about a man saving her. It was about a woman saving herself. You can’t love unless you love yourself, and that was really an important theme that I wanted to put out there,” said Prince-Bythewood.

The diversity of issues in this movie, ranging from domestic violence to self-esteem makes it more realistic and less predictable. The top three most “real” moments in the film occurred when:

***WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Kid Culprit disrespects Noni by taking off her coat on stage and pushes her onto the bed: In a performance on an awards show, Kid Culprit tries to take off Noni’s coat, against her will, to expose her underwear on stage. His blatant disrespect for Noni drives Kaz to fight him to defend Noni. This scene shows how much the industry allows male celebrities to take advantage of their female counterparts.

Noni reveals her natural hair: As Noni becomes more comfortable in who she is, she embraces her natural curls. She takes out her purple extensions, and unleashes her short springy coils. This pivotal moment shows that Noni is moving towards letting the world see the real her.

Noni explains why she wanted to fall: In a heated conversation with her mom, Noni tells her mom why she wanted to fall. In the media and when people ask she says it was a drunken mistake, but later on she makes it known to the world the true reason she thought about ending her life.

“As a filmmaker, that’s why we make movies. It’s great to entertain, but to be able to change someone’s perception … and maybe change the direction of their life, that’s an incredible responsibility. I take that very, very seriously,” said Prince-Bythewood