Page 40 - 2018 Powerlist
P. 40

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.





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