Ava DuVernay Champions 'Straight Outta Compton,' Offers A Heartfelt Review
Ava DuVernay sat down with Felice León of The Root to talk about a wide range of topics from DuVernay's work to her many firsts, including being the first African-American woman to direct a film with a $100 million budget. They also spoke about the rise in private prison stocks following the election of the dangerously xenophobic and misogynistic Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. Ava DuVernay has had a busy and eventful 2016. There was DuVernay's powerful Netflix documentary 13th, which examines race in the United States' criminal (in)justice system. The film's title references the constitutional amendment that outlawed the practice of chattel slavery but insidiously allowed it "as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." The powerful film is picking up awards and nominations left and right. It has won three Critics' Choice Documentary Awards and has made the Oscar short list for best documentary. Back in November Common dropped the short film for his new album Black America Again. The stunning black and white short film was produced by DuVernay. Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, which will be directed by DuVernay, has a tentative release date of 2018. The film will star Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling. Watch Ava DuVernay's new interview via The Root below.
H/T: The Root
