Photo: Stephanie Moreno | Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications for Peabody Awards, University of Georgia, CC-by-SA-2.0
Breaking barriers with her latest masterstroke "Origin", Ava DuVernay sets a historical precedent as the first African American woman in the 80-year history of the Venice Film Festival to have a film compete for the Golden Lion. Despite being warned about the international indifference towards black stories, Ava chose to listen to the story her heart wanted to tell. She unveiled, "For Black filmmakers, we're told... no one will come... I can't tell you how many times I've been told, 'Don't apply to Venice, you won't get in." "Origin" -- an independent production away from studio constraints -- unveils the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates the genesis of injustice. Ava celebrates the strength of her cast by virtue of how they are not your typecast Hollywood "superstars", but rather, hand-picked actors who give their 'blood, sweat, and tears.' Buoyed by this feat, she is a beacon of hope for every storyteller who does not fit the conventional molds.
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