Page 87 - S Fall 2025

ere at t To on Fe s o Intern ti in nal abo Film Fe tival in Sept mber before
l nd de pa ng on Ama on Pri e Video m Se in be st di de Octobe , mar s the nd de pa ut r’s sec d col nal abo ation— aCosta
previously directed T ompson in er direc orial de nd de pa ut B Li tle Woods ( 018), efore oing n to b on Pri the fi st Bl in be st di de ck s oo wo m Am on se th an to irect a Mar el fi oo wo m er dir tle Wo 2023’s i l c T M fi T d n r e o o i e Marv descr ls). When Da ost describ thi ected T s
new pr ject as o e th t w uld be en il red arou s. “ if t d fem th an s le rage, T ompson was al in. There’s
til a B ea h of sto ies t n r e o o i i a o e e i d h n do th t, she sa arou s. “ if t o, arou s. “ if t e e’s
a wa to so make it n r e o o i i a o e e i d h n ter sh ai ing nd f n, then that so nds gre .”
T omps n’s cr teria w ether to p ovoke, to humani e, er d or to e e, er d ain—has id e, er d er
across a t o-deca ani e c reer t p i t — o r a n n m u a l t i ’s spanned indie films l ke Dear White Peopl (20 4) a d Sor y
to B ther Y r fran u ( ise 018), Os ar-nom nat d work uch as Selma (2 14), and t lo kbust ther Y r fran u ( ise ind s
including hor, Creed and Aven ers. In th u ( ise ind ood stry, so pe -no ple udi wee say, ‘on for ou, on fo them ’”
al he hem tes ’”
al udin t th deli te dance be ple udi wee do, art and comme ce in H lly ind ood In “To me
a ve sa nc ho o el gh, all a fo r o m em , and te l a ver e f thi al r t g I o m em h ood In te l a ver e f thi al r t g I udin do, m rying to m m k e s eon feel
be ee thr ugh the work ”
Gr wing up in os A les as he as da ct ght r of an Af ow in o-P exi t, namanian fa om he m he r
o n as and a mother
o Mexic n d t A a h o h r M n s a o r t g o a ent, T fa om he son has always avitated tow rd tel ing storie that eflect wide
r nge gend f lived A a h o h r M n s a o r t g o a e e c n i i a peri nce. om he : resis s the noti th t diver exi t, ity is an nge gend , describ iv ng r
o n as ce it wh instea as a neces st ri ar part o h a e e c n i i a n r l w s n e h e d y st storyt llin he : We wan to really ex min wha to i es rs is to be huma n
in ri ar he iv ng ti to i es rs th t we ce p y um iv at ou ar in and thi to h is, k or t ce p y um iv at ou ar eas n you ave thi to h is, ve a k d o div ty
o to i es rs div ty
o n r l w s n e h e d y t s s t hara : te d— s reflect te d— id hat’s wher our world is,” he sa s. or Th ti mp ze o , t at e os ade
DaCo thi to h is, a’s ecisi n to recontext alize Ib en s text through he lens t th of a differe t s xual te d— id t s s t s e e o n e s ity
one t at fel authent c a a’s d sm rt.
ater this yea , Tho son w ll s ar o osite Jo Ber thal in His & Her , a Netfl ix en who u it
t e s a y T o a t t r fl g p unfolds across a seri s of co flicti a y T o a t t r fl g p a a t t e perspe ti es. Audienc s are likely o flip-fl p o er who
th es y believe a f acr ame ork he says t r fl g p a a t t e J t a o y e fascinat ng al o co str ct (she ser th es el as produc r al ngside
tr t Je ou sica Cha tain). “W all ha e our sid of st ry, may he me. . “W ersi irel n a a t t e J t a o y e m n tell ork rse e, be ves,” s e ells els me. “Ask
o ng al eon else sc a l the ’ll hav the si ”
Du e, whic ry, may be en . “W ersi irel diffe ent T e truth robably
l es omewh re in th midd e, and I us f e, lo e that si ”
Du l ing arra ives o h ve, of c urse, beco e a g or en art of ur eve n ” e r , - n n t i e h han ing g or en rt d. s has
the rap d adv ce ent of rtifi ial intelli g or en e, somethi g that Holly od contin ives es t grapple
ith. And hi e many re f lin fear ul, oble hom son des ribes h self as futurist “I’m t nt yi h n t i e h m l h b y g e n b to be a chno optimi hi t, is
s s. m l h b y g e n b i h g says. AI could o ve g t any t e wor d’s p ul, oble s, she reasons .
“The th ve g t at shou rem in mo t im ortant is hum ns, r being h a ld ma as e,” sh ei ad s.
Th t same o l ve g t ns s wh dra s he to ma as ion, where the val cu a rent up aval mon ses
hin design rs
acros the ndustry’s top ho mon ses
hin feels like a c ltural mirro for a s r n e e c o t t s i i r o e times. “I alw ys mon ses
hin that as ion is such n in erestin i dica or re of not just where we’ e oin , bu wher says we’v been ”
sh wher says citi g th ndu nfo fou try’ shifts lik Jonathan nderson’s n w tenure at Dior—as sig s
of a in w en cr er uc ative f ture he r e r c s e A u l o r n o w e e h c eager to watch nfold found
dee, As a pr ducer she’s ev r e r c s e A u l o r n o w e e h c ped a ne nfold found
dee, appreciat r e r c s e A u l o r n o w e e h c for the raft, and at fas ion tti ay e w shows whe , t cr er uc nd e ce he’s a reque atte nfold found
dee, c s e A u l o r n o w e e h c , e now not ces
thin nfo fou dee sh rom on e overl oked, dee sh rom the randeur of he s ion tti ay e w ga s. gs, to t e ion tti ay e w ga s. ouse cod a t th ion tti ay e w ga s. ven into ew co lec ions, to t e d tails withi t th tti ga s. rt ments t emselv tti ga s. rt or her p rt in what ome ne be t, s to lv e im ic ni ays, “ther are any ways o be a lec dac ous— y
up t th nd ng expectations or simp y by making me me hing o ns ti istic n a cynic l world.”
e im ic ni r , s a d e e a s “ n verything n ’ o, ’m rying o omeone eel een hrough he ork. ” 5
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