Los Angeles Times: The first thing that stands out about Ava DuVernay’s new movie theater at her Historic Filipinotown headquarters is the color of the seats. Rather than the classic burgundy of old-school movie houses, they shimmer with bright turquoise, resembling something out of “A Wrinkle in Time,” the Disney film she directed.
4 comments:
Having a space that was created and caters to people of color is such a thing of joy and a little sad that in today's society this is something that people of color still have to fight for. Ava DuVernay is creating something that will be told to generations to come and be a wonderful part of history. She is a woman that speaks for justice and tells stories of people of color (that written for them by them) in her work and the films she creates. To have thought this entire process through and come up with an idea (non-profit) to fund the dream that she is creating to support the dreams and works of people of color is amazing. As a black woman, I am glad that this type of space exists and I am happy that artists of color "don’t have to beg, borrow, plead or have a big studio to show their work" in the words of Ava.
I think I heard of this theater before. I believe it was when A Wrinkle In Time first premiered. Ava DuVernay wanted to hold a selected screening for a theater house filled with women. It's a very powerful move to open up your own theater and being able to hold a showing for women only. It is also great hearing about how Ava DuVernay is advocating so much for people of color and women to be in the arts. Going to the school here at Carnegie Mellon University, a small issue has occurred to me. Many of the staff members here (or maybe just the teachers I have had) are white. This is a similar issue that my high school had. My high school always had a diverse student population but for some reason the faculty never reflected that. This is why I love and support what Ava DuVernay is doing. Only when we can support and foster these connections within the arts for communities that aren't as well supported as the typical white community, then more and more people can have a fair chance at creating films, art, and spending this time creatively.
-Pablo Anton
Ava DuVernay has quickly become one of my favorite artists working in film and TV right now. Her absolutely monumental series "When They See Us" (which was criminally snubbed at the Emmy's this year) is one of the best limited series that I have ever seen, so I am definitely on board with her creative endeavors to come. This space that she created is an exciting and welcoming one for people to celebrate the culture that is a driving force behind her creative works. The campus that she has created is so interesting and it is fantastic that the public is now welcome to engage with aspects of the space. It is a great way for other filmmakers to be able to share their work without having to go through the exorbitant and large process of bringing it to a studio and hoping that they might share it with others.
I love everything that Ava DuVernay is about and everything that she is doing for women of color. It is so important to have that representation at the top and at the core of things. Yes, it is nice to see women of color being represented in film/tv or onstage. However, having that representation at the board table, or in this case, having that representation creating the board table is such a big stepping stone. These are the positive strides that we need to see. What better way to help a community than to have someone who truly knows, and have possibly felt, all of the issues that need addressing and changing at the forefront pushing for those changes? She will know exactly what to address and how to address it. She will know what women of color needs and how to help them. I am so happy that she hasn't settled in her success within herself, but chose to push to help others become successful.
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