Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 7 March 2018
Ava DuVernay's unprecedented journey to 'A Wrinkle in Time'

By LINDSEY BAHR "I just feel like I have a
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ava short window in this indus-
DuVernay didn't pick up a try. There is no precedent
camera until the age of 32. for a black woman mak-
It's an extraordinary fact, ing films consistently. There
considering the trajectories are beautiful black wom-
of most Hollywood direc- en directors but there are
tors. Orson Welles filmed seven-year, six-year gaps
"Citizen Kane" at 25. Steven between them," she says.
Spielberg was 27 when he "Even though people tell
made "Jaws." A 23-year- me it's ok, I think it's all going
old John Singleton directed to stop tomorrow. I want to
"Boyz N the Hood." do as much as I can do
It was already doubtful that when I can. It's not unrea-
DuVernay could jump from sonable, you know? Tomor-
a career in film marketing row they can say, 'No we
and publicity so late and don't want you to make
without even a film degree movies anymore.'"
to back her up. That she is And indeed there is still that
also a black woman made idea that female filmmak-
it even more unlikely. ers are not given second
But in just 13 years, DuVer- chances, even when they
nay has successfully and succeed. It's something Du-
improbably risen to the In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, Director Ava DuVernay poses for a portrait at The W Hotel in Los Angeles Vernay thinks about often.
upper echelons of the en- to promote her film, "A Wrinkle in Time." "I look at Guy Ritchie. That
tertainment industry, as a Associated Press guy is bulletproof," she says.
filmmaker, producer and "He can make something
agent of change, breaking recognition) and has also Medal-winning 1962 novel eyes on one of Winfrey's that doesn't work. The next
down barriers and smash- become the first woman of in 2010, and it went through costumes because that's week he's the director of
ing ceilings wherever she color to get over $100 mil- various writers and budget what she had seen in the another thing. I look at him
sets her sights. lion to make a live-action points. The story about an concept drawing. and I'm like, 'Wow, that's
Now, at 45, she has an movie. That film, "A Wrinkle awkward 13-year-old girl, "I was like, 'I think it's fine fantastic.' But that wouldn't
Oscar-nomination (for the in Time," with its $103 million Meg Murry, who travels without the eyes? I think it's have been Patty Jenkins
documentary "The 13th"), production budget, opens through time and space, ok!' Winfrey recalled. and it won't be me."
a historic Golden Globe nationwide Friday. was a notoriously unwieldy DuVernay laughed that Initial tracking suggests
nomination (for "Selma" The Walt Disney Co. ac- one that carried the dread- Winfrey recounted that mo- that "A Wrinkle in Time" may
she was the first black fe- quired the rights to Mad- ed "un-filmable" stigma. ment. "She came out and open in the mid-$30 mil-
male director to get that eleine L'Engle's Newbery "I was shocked that they everyone applauded for lion range, which might not
called me," says DuVernay. the dress and it was extraor- even be enough to unseat
"I'd done 'Selma' and 'The dinary," DuVernay explains. Disney's "Black Panther"
13th.' How did they even "But I looked and I said, 'Well (which DuVernay passed
think that would work? But on the sketch there were lit- on directing) from the No.
they did. And when they tle eyes. Where are those?' 1 spot. "Wrinkle," however,
said I could make her a girl And he was like, 'Well this is film that is first and fore-
of color, it just grabbed my looks good too.' And I'm most for children ages 8 to
whole heart." like, 'Well let's go take a 12, DuVernay says. Before
DuVernay set off to do the look at that anyway." Ask- a screening she asked the
impossible — make a big ing for what she needs, and audience to try to watch it
budget, kids-targeted sci- wants, is something DuVer- through the eyes of a child
fi blockbuster with an un- nay has learned as she's — an unusual request for
known 13-year-old black gotten older. something from an already
actress (Storm Reid, now "Film is forever," she says. "It's very kid-friendly studio like
14) as the lead. cemented. You've got to Disney which makes films
"I think it's incredible that do it right now and it's got for the younger set that
Disney made the decision to be the best it can be. So, nonetheless appeal to a
to hire Ava on this and gave let's go back and put the wide swath of ages.
her the creative control to eyes on the dress." Critics reviews are under
cast whoever she wanted," Witherspoon says she has embargo until Wednesday,
says Reese Witherspoon, never met a director who and social media reactions
who co-stars in the film as spends so much time talk- so far have been unusually
one of the mystical "Mrs." ing about others: Acknowl- sparse for a film this big. Du-
alongside Oprah Winfrey edging everyone's contri- Vernay says of the critics
and Mindy Kaling. butions in a cast and crew that, "Some of them will see
Winfrey, Witherspoon and of hundreds, and then what we tried to do. Some
Kaling, all hardworking spending weekends talking of them, it's not (going to
multi-hyphenates them- about other people's work be) for them. It is what it is."
selves, marveled at DuVer- too, from Patty Jenkins to And it's the film she wanted
nay's tireless work ethic and Ryan Coogler. to make, for the 12-year-old
attention to detail. Once DuVernay always has her, and for someone like
she even sent costume de- something in the works. Kaling, who says that she
signer Paco Delgado back She's afraid if she slows always loved sci-fi but that
to hand paint hundreds of down, it might all go away. it never loved her back.q