Time International - 25.11.2019

(Jeff_L) #1
Time November 25, 2019

EMPOWERING


DIRECTOR


MELINA MATSOUKAS | 38


By Daniel Kaluuya


I can usually tell from the first


frame whether a film knows its


voice. The first shot of Melina


Matsoukas’ debut feature film,


Queen & Slim, is of a waitress.


And you can tell Melina deeply


cares about every thread of


that woman’s costume, every


follicle of her hair. Immediately,


it’s clear this director knows


exactly who she is. She is deeply


passionate about presenting


black people with the kind of


visual consideration and love that


we haven’t seen in the industry.


She’s honest, and her truth will


resonate, whether it’s a positive


or negative effect. I don’t want


to pigeonhole her. If you look at


her back catalog of music videos


for Beyoncé and Rihanna and


Solange, and the diversity of


images in those projects—she can


do anything. She’s not monolithic.


Her work is going to be broad but


always empower people like her.


And that’s exciting.


Kaluuya is a writer and an Oscar-


nominated actor who stars in


Queen & Slim


FAST FACTS


HOMETOWN


BRONX, N.Y.


BEST KNOWN FOR


BEING A VISIONARY


MUSIC-VIDEO


DIRECTOR WHOSE


CREDITS INCLUDE


RIHANNA’S


“WE FOUND LOVE”


AND BEYONCÉ’S


“FORMATION”


76

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