Ava DuVernay Says Her New Movie ‘Origin’ Is ‘a Door Opened’ for Black Filmmakers at International Festivals

Ava DuVernay makes history at the Venice Film Festival.

Ace DuVernay, 51, appeared in Italy on Wednesday for the world premiere of her new film Originthe director became the first black American director whose film was screened in the festival’s main competition.

At a press conference for the film, DuVernay told reporters that in her experience, black filmmakers in the United States “have been told that people who like movies in other parts of the world don’t care about our stories and they don’t care about our movies.”

“That’s something we’re often told — you can’t play at international film festivals, nobody will come, people won’t come to your press conference, people won’t come to [press and industry] screenings, they won’t be interested in selling tickets, you might not even get into this festival, so don’t apply,” DuVernay said after being asked how she and producer Paul Garnes brought Origin until realization.

“I can’t tell you how many times I was told not to apply to Venice, you won’t get in,” she added. “That’s not going to happen. And this year it did.”

Ava DuVernay becomes the first black woman on Ben & Jerry’s Pinta with the new caramel flavor

Cinematographer Matthew J. Lloyd, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Paul Garnes, director Ava DuVernay, Suraj Yengde and Spencer Averick at the photocall for “Origin” at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2023 in Venice, Italy.

Andreas Rentz/Getty

DuVernay, whose previous films include 2014’s Selma and a documentary from 2016 13he said during the conference that OriginComing to the festival created “an open door that I believe in and hope that the festival will remain open.”

“It confirms the absence of 80 years that as intelligent people we should be able to say ‘this happened, now what’s next,'” she said.

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Jon Bernthal (left) and Aunjanue Ellis (right) in the movie ‘Origin’.

Atsushi Nishijima courtesy of Array Filmworks

When DuVernay was first asked about the production Originshe first thanked the forum moderator for asking a question about filmmaking, not about being a black director at the festival.

“As a black female director, I often get asked questions about race or being a woman, or anything but the role of a director,” she told reporters. “When I see interviews with my colleagues who are not black and who are not women, they have a lot of questions about craft and production.”

Director Ava DuVernay at a photo call for “Origin” at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2023 in Venice, Italy.

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

DuVernay’s new film “chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson as she explores the origins of injustice and uncovers the hidden truth that affects us all,” according to the film’s official synopsis on the festival’s website.

The film stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson, alongside an ensemble cast that includes Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald and Nick Offerman, among others. It is inspired by Wilkerson’s life and work, including the author’s 2020 book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent. DuVernay told reporters Wednesday that she “had to read the book three times to really understand it.”

Purchased distribution company Neon Origin on Tuesday and plans to release the film in the US later this year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will also be screened at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education