Page 40 - 2018 Powerlist

Arts, Fashion & Design

Amma Asante Touch, which is set in Germany during World War II. It is
described as a coming-of-age story, with 15-year-old Lenya
Actor, director (Amandla Stenberg), the daughter of a white German
mother and a black father, living in fear due to the colour
of her skin. She meets and falls in love with Lutz (George
Since winning a BAFTA for her first film, 2004’s A Way MacKay), the son of a prominent SS officer, putting both
of Life, about a single mother fighting extreme poverty, their lives at risk. The film also stars Abbie Cornish and
Amma has established herself as one of Britain’s leading Christopher Eccleston and will be released in early 2018.
big-screen directors and writers. During filming, Amma gave two aspiring female directors
Following the success of movie Belle in 2014, which the chance to shadow her on-set – an initiative she plans to
starred Emily Watson and became one of the highest continue for future projects.
grossing independent films of the year, last year’s A United This year sees Amma become the subject of a South
Kingdom opened the BFI London Film Festival and scored Bank Show documentary on Sky Arts, fronted by Melvyn
rave reviews. It tells the true story of Seretse Khama (David Bragg. Amma was named in The Hospital Club’s #h100 in
Oyelowo), the King of Botswana, who falls in love with September 2015 for her achievements in film. She is a past
London office worker Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike). elected member of the BAFTA Council and a past BAFTA
Amma became the first black woman to have a film open Film committee member.
the prestigious festival, and in the same year she was made In 2014, she was made an honorary associate of the
a member of the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and London Film School and was named one of CNN’s Leading
Sciences. The one-time Grange Hill actress is currently Women of 2014. Vanity Fair magazine declared her one of
in post-production on her new film, Where Hands 2017’s Ten Female Directors to Watch.

36 Powerlist 2018