BRITISH FILM COMMISSION
UK IN FOCUS 2016
“Those are the stories that speak to me,” con-
tinues Asante, “but I don’t for one minute
assume that simply because I come from that
background and I want to tell those stories that
they will only appeal to people like me. As
somebody who is a black female and, at this
current time, not your average director, I come
to these classic, traditional stories from a very
different perspective. In order to resonate with
audiences they have to be great, powerful sto-
ries but also need to be intimate, emotional
stories as well. I always have this hope that, if
they can connect to my heart, they will connect
to audiences as well.
“There was this idea that audiences were
only interested in historical characters that they
had heard of, that’s what financiers used to tell
you,” Asante adds, of the audience appetite for
films such as
Belle
and
A United Kingdom
.“We’ve
learnt over the last few years that’s absolutely
A United Kingdom is set for an autumn
2016 release by Pathé
not true. Audiences are interested in stories,
they are interested in being inspired and they
are curious about our history and these great
stories that have never been told.”
Diversity of storytelling is an issue close to
Asante’s heart; not only does she look to bring
an alternative viewpoint with her films, but she
is also proactive away from the camera. She
takes time to mentor young women, and also
serves alongside the likes of Jessica Chastain,
Juliette Binoche and Haifaa al-Mansour on the
advisory board of non-profit production com-
pany We Do It Together, which was set up to
focus on female empowerment across film, TV
and other media.
“It’s not just about doing what is morally
right,”she says of pushing films that fall outside
the ‘white straight male’ default. “It’s about
keeping the industry vibrant, and keeping the
life-blood flowing. The industry, right from
entry level, should have different and fresh per-
spectives, and that doesn’t just mean younger
versions of the same thing; it means re-broad-
ening your view, and it requires courage.
“I have been very lucky that, from my first
film, the BFI, and previously the UK Film Coun-
cil, have been supportive of my work,” Asante
continues.“They recognised what I have to con-
tribute as a storyteller, a filmmaker.You need to
have a diversity of people making such deci-
sions, coming from more varied backgrounds
than we’re seeing right now. It’s important
because all good stories are universal, but all
good stories also focus on detail. It’s great for
us all, at some point, to be able to see the detail
of who we are reflected in cinema and TV.”
While Asante admits there is work still to be
done on the issue of diversity,she says it should
not overshadow the world-class talent working
across all sectors of the UK industry. “We have
got incredible talent, which we are exporting
all over the world,” she says.“With each produc-
tion I work on, I love learning from my crew as
well as sharing my vision with them. It’s a two-
way thing. I love the process of connecting with
them, to achieve ideas that have been going
around in my head for several years, and to pro-
ject those onto the screen and start a story dia-
logue with the audience. It’s a blessing and a
gift to work with this level of talent.”
UK
“
WE HAVE GOT INCREDIBLE
TALENT HERE, WHICHWE
ARE EXPORTING ALL OVER
THE WORLD
”
Amma Asante
Amma Asante (centre) with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and James Norton on the set of Belle
15
