Black American director Ava DuVernay, known for her anti-racist stances and works, was elected to the Academy Academy’s executive committee on Wednesday to award Hollywood’s most prestigious film awards.
With 26 women and 12 people of color out of 54 governors in total (against 25 and 11 previously), the composition of the committee which directs the Academy has never been so diverse, according to the specialized media. Four of the new governors elected for the first time this year are women, while black actress Whoopi Goldberg has been re-elected.
Director Ava DuVernay owes her notoriety to the series “Dans leur regard” retracing the true story of five black and Latino teenagers wrongly accused of raping a jogger in Central Park in the late 80s, and to the documentary “Le 13th ”on mass incarceration of blacks in the United States.
#OscarsSoWhite
The committee of governors, renewed by thirds each year, represents the different professional branches of the cinema industry and is responsible for defining the strategic objectives of the Academy.
The Academy of Oscars has been strongly criticized in recent years for its lack of diversity, not only among its members but also in the choice of its nominees and winners. A #OscarsSoWhite campaign had been launched on social networks in January 2015 when the Oscars had rewarded an overwhelming majority of white candidates.
The film “Selma”, directed by Ava DuVernay and retracing the historic fight led by Martin Luther King to obtain the right to vote for all American citizens, was one of the works in the running that year. Selected in the category of “best film”, he had to settle for the Oscar for “best song” and many had considered at the time that “Selma” was unjustly ignored.
“I Can’t Breathe”
Its star actor, David Oyelowo, said last week that members of the Academy had threatened to harm the promotion of the film when the team had worn “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts at the premiere of the film in 2014. They thus intended to protest against the death of Eric Garner, a black American who was asphyxiated after being arrested by the police, like George Floyd recently.
The Academy of Oscars replied on Twitter to David Oyelowo: “Ava & David, we can hear you. Unacceptable. We are committed to improving. ” (dpa / nxp)
Created: 11.06.2020, 00h26
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