Lupita Nyong’o makes history as first black head of German film festival
Award-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o
has made history by taking over as the first black head of the Berlin
International Film Festival jury.
The annual
film showcase event, also known as the Berlinale, is one of the five largest
global film festivals.
The event
has not had a black jury head in its 74-year history, organizers told British
press.
Nyong'o will
lead the jury in selecting the winning films in the two main categories, Golden
and Silver Bears.
The top five
international film festivals - Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Sundance and Toronto -
have often faced criticism for lacking diversity on their juries.
The biggest
and second-oldest of these, the Cannes festival, only had its first black jury
president in 2020, when American director Spike Lee was chosen.
At the
opening of the event in Germany's capital on Thursday, Nyong'o said she was
"greatly honoured" to take on the position.
She added
that the diversity of the jury would enrich the jury's process of deciding on
the films to award.
"That's
the beauty of bringing people together from different backgrounds - we respond
to different things," said the actress, who won an Oscar for ‘12 Years A
Slave’ in 2014.
"We
have a lot of world experience and opinion and it's gonna be interesting. It's
probably also gonna be spicy."
When
Berlinale announced Nyong'o as jury president last December, the festival's
directors, Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, said the actress was selected
because she "embodies what we like in cinema", through her acting
versatility and ability to cater to different audiences.
The event
will run until February 25, when the jury announces the winning films in the
major categories.
Three
African entries are among the 20 competing for the top prize, and all tell
stories from the continent.
In her role
as jury president, Nyong’o is poised to contribute to a more inclusive and
diverse landscape within the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.
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