On the same day that she became the first black woman to receive a Golden Globe nomination for best director, “Selma” filmmaker Ava DuVernay took a moment to remark on the controversial email exchange that, for some, has highlighted a dispiriting lack of progress in some of the higher echelons of Hollywood.
“I have two words: sickening and sad,” DuVernay told Variety at Thursday night’s Washington, D.C., premiere of “Selma.” “That’s really all I have to say.”
The director was referring to one of many conversations between producer Scott Rudin and Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Amy Pascal that were made public as a result of the massive Sony hack attack by Guardians of Peace, a group protesting the upcoming release of the studio’s North Korea-skewering satire “The Interview.” In the exchange in question, Pascal and Rudin traded quips about President Obama’s movie tastes — which, the two speculated, might run toward the likes of “Django Unchained,” “12 Years a Slave,” “The Butler” and the comedies of Kevin Hart.
A later version of that conversation might well have included mention of “Selma,” which re-creates the 1965 voting-rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr. in heavily segregated Alabama. On Thursday morning, the much-lauded Paramount release picked up Golden Globe nominations not only for DuVernay’s direction but also for picture and best actor for David Oyelowo for his portrayal of King.
Source: Variety | Justin Chang
