One could say that Amma Asante’s latest, Where Hands Touch is part of a trilogy of films. Before the Holocaust drama starring Amandla Stenberg, she directed David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike in A United Kingdom and before that, she helmed Belle starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw. All three films are set in different time periods and tell different narratives that explore multiracial identity as well as interracial relationships. Asante sat down with us at the New Hollywood Podcast to give us some poignant insight about her films and how there’s a wealth of untold stories just like Where Hands Touch that seldom make it to the forefront.
Born in London and the daughter of immigrant parents from Ghana, Asante started off as an actress, starring in the British school drama Grange Hill. She shifted to filmmaking and directed A Way of Life in 2004, but started to get attention for the aforementioned Belle,...
Born in London and the daughter of immigrant parents from Ghana, Asante started off as an actress, starring in the British school drama Grange Hill. She shifted to filmmaking and directed A Way of Life in 2004, but started to get attention for the aforementioned Belle,...
- 9/26/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos and Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Led by Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, with a soundtrack featuring artists including Nico Muhly, Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, Matmos and AC Newman of The New Pornographers, it’s a little bit disappointing that “How To Talk To Girls At Parties” has been a bit lost in the wind since debuting at Cannes. The film is gearing up to roll out internationally as we wait any news of a U.S.
Continue reading ‘How To Talk To Girls At Parties’ Trailer: Nicole Kidman & Elle Fanning Make Punk A Way Of Life at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘How To Talk To Girls At Parties’ Trailer: Nicole Kidman & Elle Fanning Make Punk A Way Of Life at The Playlist.
- 10/6/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
This is a reprint of our review from the 2016 BFI London Film Festival.
In 2013, nearly ten years after her BAFTA-winning directorial debut “A Way Of Life,” British director Amma Asante returned with “Belle.” It was the kind of film ignored by much of the cinephile blogosphere, but proved to be a sleeper indie hit (outgrossing movies like “Foxcatcher,” “Whiplash” and “Snowpiercer”), and was well-liked by critics in the know, who found not a stodgy period piece, but a spry, deeply smart film that introduced issues of race and identity into a familiar Jane Austen-ish setting in a way that felt truly vital.
Continue reading Amma Asante Creates A Fitting Successor To ‘Belle’ With ‘A United Kingdom’ [Review] at The Playlist.
In 2013, nearly ten years after her BAFTA-winning directorial debut “A Way Of Life,” British director Amma Asante returned with “Belle.” It was the kind of film ignored by much of the cinephile blogosphere, but proved to be a sleeper indie hit (outgrossing movies like “Foxcatcher,” “Whiplash” and “Snowpiercer”), and was well-liked by critics in the know, who found not a stodgy period piece, but a spry, deeply smart film that introduced issues of race and identity into a familiar Jane Austen-ish setting in a way that felt truly vital.
Continue reading Amma Asante Creates A Fitting Successor To ‘Belle’ With ‘A United Kingdom’ [Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/10/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
David Oyelowo, born in England to Nigerian parents, is an actor of blazing talent and rare grace. On screen, he's stirring and soulful as Martin Luther King in Selma; on HBO, he's chilling and heart-piercing as a war vet coming apart in Nightingale; on stage, doing Shakespeare, he's miraculous at capturing the stature and tragic weakness of the Moor in Othello. So to say that Oyelowo is giving one of his best and most electrifying performances in A United Kingdom – that means something. He's set the bar high.
Based on...
Based on...
- 2/9/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Author: Zehra Phelan
British screenwriter, director and former actress, Amma Asante’s career as a filmmaker is going from strength to strength particularly with her last film, A United Kingdom. The film told the tale of the 1940’s interracial relationship between the Prince Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) of Botswana and a white woman (Rosamund Pike) from London and earned her critical acclaim.
Related: Amma Asante on A United Kingdom
With the release of the first image of her next film, Where Hands Touch, Asante sticks to the theme that has worked so well for her in a tale which tells of the struggles of love between the daughter of a bi-racial couple, Leyna, played by Amandla Stenberg and a young man who is a member of the Hitler Youth, Lutz, played by George MacKay.
Asante said: “It has been a passion of mine to tell this story, for many years...
British screenwriter, director and former actress, Amma Asante’s career as a filmmaker is going from strength to strength particularly with her last film, A United Kingdom. The film told the tale of the 1940’s interracial relationship between the Prince Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) of Botswana and a white woman (Rosamund Pike) from London and earned her critical acclaim.
Related: Amma Asante on A United Kingdom
With the release of the first image of her next film, Where Hands Touch, Asante sticks to the theme that has worked so well for her in a tale which tells of the struggles of love between the daughter of a bi-racial couple, Leyna, played by Amandla Stenberg and a young man who is a member of the Hitler Youth, Lutz, played by George MacKay.
Asante said: “It has been a passion of mine to tell this story, for many years...
- 2/9/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“There’s nothing like the smell of diversity in the morning.”
David Oyelowo opened the Black Star Symposium at the BFI South Bank in London last week with a joke – actually a comedy routine, during which he suggested that talking about diversity, for him, was akin to Idris Elbe being asked yet again about James Bond.
But this was simply a softening up of his audience of actors, filmmakers and industry movers and shakers. Oyelowo really could have been wearing Colonel Kilgore’s army fatigues (rather than a dapper white suit), because hereafter he was in fighting mood, at the heart of a discussion about the limited opportunities for black actors on screen in the Us and the UK – and what more can be done to effect “positive change.”
The gathering was the headline industry event of this year’s London Film Festival, which opened with a screening of Amma Asante...
David Oyelowo opened the Black Star Symposium at the BFI South Bank in London last week with a joke – actually a comedy routine, during which he suggested that talking about diversity, for him, was akin to Idris Elbe being asked yet again about James Bond.
But this was simply a softening up of his audience of actors, filmmakers and industry movers and shakers. Oyelowo really could have been wearing Colonel Kilgore’s army fatigues (rather than a dapper white suit), because hereafter he was in fighting mood, at the heart of a discussion about the limited opportunities for black actors on screen in the Us and the UK – and what more can be done to effect “positive change.”
The gathering was the headline industry event of this year’s London Film Festival, which opened with a screening of Amma Asante...
- 10/10/2016
- by Demetrios Matheou
- Indiewire
In 2013, nearly ten years after her BAFTA-winning directorial debut “A Way Of Life,” British director Amma Asante returned with “Belle.” It was the kind of film ignored by much of the cinephile blogosphere, but proved to be a sleeper indie hit (outgrossing movies like “Foxcatcher,” “Whiplash” and “Snowpiercer”), and was well-liked by critics in the know, who found not a stodgy period piece, but a spry, deeply smart film that introduced issues of race and identity into a familiar Jane Austen-ish setting in a way that felt truly vital.
Continue reading Amma Asante’s ‘A United Kingdom’ Starring David Oyelowo & Rosamund Pike Is An Engaging Crowd-Pleaser [BFI London Film Festival Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Amma Asante’s ‘A United Kingdom’ Starring David Oyelowo & Rosamund Pike Is An Engaging Crowd-Pleaser [BFI London Film Festival Review] at The Playlist.
- 10/5/2016
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
As her movie A United Kingdom opens the London film festival, the British director talks about her new membership of the Us Academy – and why the whole industry needs to change
Amma Asante is drinking tea – “If you have PG Tips, all the better,” she calls to the retreating waiter – in the plush quietness and gleaming surfaces of London’s Cafe Royal. Despite traffic jams and torrential rain, she is impeccably calm, certainly calmer than many film-makers would be had their latest production been selected to open this year’s London film festival. But Asante, whose previous films A Way of Life and Belle garnered her high praise and multiple awards, including a Bafta, is clearly a star in the making – and possibly also a star-maker; Gugu Mbatha-Raw, whom she cast in her breakthrough part as the title character in Belle, has just appeared opposite Matthew McConaughey in the American...
Amma Asante is drinking tea – “If you have PG Tips, all the better,” she calls to the retreating waiter – in the plush quietness and gleaming surfaces of London’s Cafe Royal. Despite traffic jams and torrential rain, she is impeccably calm, certainly calmer than many film-makers would be had their latest production been selected to open this year’s London film festival. But Asante, whose previous films A Way of Life and Belle garnered her high praise and multiple awards, including a Bafta, is clearly a star in the making – and possibly also a star-maker; Gugu Mbatha-Raw, whom she cast in her breakthrough part as the title character in Belle, has just appeared opposite Matthew McConaughey in the American...
- 10/2/2016
- by Alex Clark
- The Guardian - Film News
Edwards, a producer on Asante’s debut feature A Way Of Life and the first chairman of Ffilm Cymru Wales, has died aged 68.
Industry have paid tribute to director and producer Peter Edwards, who has died at the age of 68.
Jones was the first chairman of Ffilm Cymru Wales, the country’s film promotion agency, and was a producer on features including Amma Asante’s 2004 debut A Way Of Life, which won four Welsh BAFTAs and the Carol Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer at the 2005 BAFTAs.
Belle and A United Kingdom director Asante wrote on her Facebook page:
“I am so so sad today to hear that Peter Edwards, the man who gave me my break in film has passed away. I can’t get rid of the lump in my throat. It would take any essay to outline everything he creatively gifted to me. Needless to say, there would be...
Industry have paid tribute to director and producer Peter Edwards, who has died at the age of 68.
Jones was the first chairman of Ffilm Cymru Wales, the country’s film promotion agency, and was a producer on features including Amma Asante’s 2004 debut A Way Of Life, which won four Welsh BAFTAs and the Carol Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer at the 2005 BAFTAs.
Belle and A United Kingdom director Asante wrote on her Facebook page:
“I am so so sad today to hear that Peter Edwards, the man who gave me my break in film has passed away. I can’t get rid of the lump in my throat. It would take any essay to outline everything he creatively gifted to me. Needless to say, there would be...
- 9/14/2016
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom,” a historical romance starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, is set to open the 60th BFI London Film Festival. The two leads play King Seretse Khama of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and London office-worker Ruth Williams, respectively, a black man and white woman who wed in 1947 in the face of their families’ (and governments’) protestations.
Read More: Watch: ‘Belle’ Writer/Director Amma Asante Talks Defining and Empowering Yourself
Asante, whose “Belle” tackled similar material, said in a statement that “It’s a great privilege that ‘A United Kingdom’ has been selected as the Opening Night Film of the BFI London Film Festival. The Festival means a lot to me personally, having showcased my very first film, ‘A Way of Life,’ here and been honoured with the UK Film Talent Award. I’m a proud Londoner and in ‘A United Kingdom’ we’ve been able to...
Read More: Watch: ‘Belle’ Writer/Director Amma Asante Talks Defining and Empowering Yourself
Asante, whose “Belle” tackled similar material, said in a statement that “It’s a great privilege that ‘A United Kingdom’ has been selected as the Opening Night Film of the BFI London Film Festival. The Festival means a lot to me personally, having showcased my very first film, ‘A Way of Life,’ here and been honoured with the UK Film Talent Award. I’m a proud Londoner and in ‘A United Kingdom’ we’ve been able to...
- 6/21/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Drama starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike to receive European premiere at Lff.
The 60th BFI London Film Festival (Oct 5-16) will open with director Amma Asante’s (Belle) drama A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
The film will receive its European premiere at the festival on Wednesday Oct 5, marking the second consecutive year that London has opened with a film from a female director following last year’s opener Suffragette.
Cast and filmmakers are expected to attend the screening, which will be cinecast across the UK.
Set in the late 1940s, the true story centres on Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana (Oyelowo), who caused an international stir when he married white British office worker Ruth Williams (Pike).
Screenplay comes from Guy Hibbert (Eye In The Sky), based on the book Colour Bar by Susan Williams. Other cast includes Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Terry Pheto (Mandela), Tom Felton ([link...
The 60th BFI London Film Festival (Oct 5-16) will open with director Amma Asante’s (Belle) drama A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
The film will receive its European premiere at the festival on Wednesday Oct 5, marking the second consecutive year that London has opened with a film from a female director following last year’s opener Suffragette.
Cast and filmmakers are expected to attend the screening, which will be cinecast across the UK.
Set in the late 1940s, the true story centres on Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana (Oyelowo), who caused an international stir when he married white British office worker Ruth Williams (Pike).
Screenplay comes from Guy Hibbert (Eye In The Sky), based on the book Colour Bar by Susan Williams. Other cast includes Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Terry Pheto (Mandela), Tom Felton ([link...
- 6/21/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Drama starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike to receive European premiere at Lff.
The 60th BFI London Film Festival (Oct 5-16) will open with director Amma Asante’s (Belle) drama A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
The film will receive its European premiere at the festival on Wednesday Oct 5, marking the second consecutive year that London has opened with a film from a female director following last year’s opener Suffragette.
Cast and filmmakers are expected to attend the screening, which will be cinecast across the UK.
The story centres on Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana (Oyelowo), who causes an international stir when he marries a white woman (Pike) from London in the late 1940s.
Screenplay comes from Guy Hibbert (Eye In The Sky), based on the book Colour Bar by Susan Williams. Other cast includes Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Terry Pheto (Mandela), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Arnold Oceng ([link...
The 60th BFI London Film Festival (Oct 5-16) will open with director Amma Asante’s (Belle) drama A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
The film will receive its European premiere at the festival on Wednesday Oct 5, marking the second consecutive year that London has opened with a film from a female director following last year’s opener Suffragette.
Cast and filmmakers are expected to attend the screening, which will be cinecast across the UK.
The story centres on Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana (Oyelowo), who causes an international stir when he marries a white woman (Pike) from London in the late 1940s.
Screenplay comes from Guy Hibbert (Eye In The Sky), based on the book Colour Bar by Susan Williams. Other cast includes Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Terry Pheto (Mandela), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Arnold Oceng ([link...
- 6/21/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
All the fun, sun and near-death experiences Maine's Camp Firewood has to offer are highlighted in the hilarious first trailer for Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Netflix's upcoming mini-series prequel to the 2001 cult comedy.
The warped, VHS-quality clip plays out like a promo for Camp Firewood and includes quick snippets of its beloved, moronic counselors as they show campers the joys of drama, archery and breakdancing. H. Jon Benjamin — who voiced the can of vegetables that speaks to Gene, the shell-shocked Vietnam vet-turned-camp chef played by Christopher Meloni — narrates the video,...
The warped, VHS-quality clip plays out like a promo for Camp Firewood and includes quick snippets of its beloved, moronic counselors as they show campers the joys of drama, archery and breakdancing. H. Jon Benjamin — who voiced the can of vegetables that speaks to Gene, the shell-shocked Vietnam vet-turned-camp chef played by Christopher Meloni — narrates the video,...
- 6/23/2015
- Rollingstone.com
Kate Hudson and Kerry Washington have entered early talks for Amma Asante's Unforgettable.
The Almost Famous and Scandal actresses are eyeing Warner Bros' thriller, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film will centre around a newly-married mother who realises that her husband's ex is out for revenge.
Former actress Asante made her directorial debut with 2004's A Way of Life. Her most recent project was Belle.
Washington starred in Peeples and is attached to MGM romantic comedy Is He the One?.
Hudson was most recently seen in Good People and will star with Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel and Bill Murray in Barry Levinson's Rock the Kasbah.
It is yet to be revealed which roles Hudson and Washington would take in Unforgettable.
The Almost Famous and Scandal actresses are eyeing Warner Bros' thriller, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film will centre around a newly-married mother who realises that her husband's ex is out for revenge.
Former actress Asante made her directorial debut with 2004's A Way of Life. Her most recent project was Belle.
Washington starred in Peeples and is attached to MGM romantic comedy Is He the One?.
Hudson was most recently seen in Good People and will star with Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel and Bill Murray in Barry Levinson's Rock the Kasbah.
It is yet to be revealed which roles Hudson and Washington would take in Unforgettable.
- 12/3/2014
- Digital Spy
Screen Film Summit: Belle director Amma Asante calls on industry to support filmmakers beyond their first movie.
Amma Asante, the award-winning director of Belle, has rallied the industry to back filmmakers beyond their debut feature.
Click here for full speech
Delivering the opening keynote of the Screen Film Summit this morning, Asante recalled hearing the buzz phrase ‘creating a sustainable industry’ when she made her first film A Way of Life in 2004.
“In my world, I took that to mean an industry in which all involved in making films could not only complete one or two, and then find themselves squeezed out by the financial pressures, but one in which the individuals who make up the industry could truly survive, maybe even thrive, through their continual contributions, that could be fairly reflected on as that thing called a ‘career’,” she told delegates.
This was something Asante considered in the 10 years between her first a second film – the...
Amma Asante, the award-winning director of Belle, has rallied the industry to back filmmakers beyond their debut feature.
Click here for full speech
Delivering the opening keynote of the Screen Film Summit this morning, Asante recalled hearing the buzz phrase ‘creating a sustainable industry’ when she made her first film A Way of Life in 2004.
“In my world, I took that to mean an industry in which all involved in making films could not only complete one or two, and then find themselves squeezed out by the financial pressures, but one in which the individuals who make up the industry could truly survive, maybe even thrive, through their continual contributions, that could be fairly reflected on as that thing called a ‘career’,” she told delegates.
This was something Asante considered in the 10 years between her first a second film – the...
- 12/1/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Belle director joins the high profile list of attendees for Screen’s upcoming annual Film Summit
Amma Asante, the director of acclaimed British costume drama Belle, is to give the opening keynote at the upcoming Screen Film Summit, which takes place at the BFI on December 1.
The BAFTA-award winning writer-director will discuss her career to date, breaking through as a new talent, the need for more diverse stories, challenges facing the UK industry and more.
Asante’s first feature, A Way Of Life, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to win 17 international awards for writing and directing, including the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for a debut film.
Her second feature, Belle, based on the true story of the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral, has just picked up two Bifa nominations for lead actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Asante will join a raft of industry experts who will be talking about the...
Amma Asante, the director of acclaimed British costume drama Belle, is to give the opening keynote at the upcoming Screen Film Summit, which takes place at the BFI on December 1.
The BAFTA-award winning writer-director will discuss her career to date, breaking through as a new talent, the need for more diverse stories, challenges facing the UK industry and more.
Asante’s first feature, A Way Of Life, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to win 17 international awards for writing and directing, including the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for a debut film.
Her second feature, Belle, based on the true story of the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral, has just picked up two Bifa nominations for lead actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Asante will join a raft of industry experts who will be talking about the...
- 11/6/2014
- by sarah.cooper@screendaily.com (Sarah Cooper)
- ScreenDaily
You have to go back 10 years to find Amma Asante’s preceding directorial endeavour A Way of Life. Now the former actress presents her sophomore feature Belle – which we had the pleasure of discussing with her, at a special junket taking place at the film’s very setting, Kenwood House.
She tells us about bringing such a powerful tale to the costume drama genre, and the recent, somewhat positive shift that is now seeing more black protagonists at the heart of their own tales. Finally, given this film is based primarily around a famous painting, we ask Amma if there are any other paintings she would love to explore the back story to on screen.
Belle is released on June 13th.
The post The HeyUGuys Interview: Director Amma Asante discusses Belle appeared first on HeyUGuys.
She tells us about bringing such a powerful tale to the costume drama genre, and the recent, somewhat positive shift that is now seeing more black protagonists at the heart of their own tales. Finally, given this film is based primarily around a famous painting, we ask Amma if there are any other paintings she would love to explore the back story to on screen.
Belle is released on June 13th.
The post The HeyUGuys Interview: Director Amma Asante discusses Belle appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 6/13/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Belle is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing.
While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
Directed by Amma Asante (A Way Of Life) and written by Misan Sagay (The Secret Laughter Of Women), Belle opens in St. Louis on May 16th.
The Belle screening will be on Wednesday, May 14th at 7Pm in the St.
While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
Directed by Amma Asante (A Way Of Life) and written by Misan Sagay (The Secret Laughter Of Women), Belle opens in St. Louis on May 16th.
The Belle screening will be on Wednesday, May 14th at 7Pm in the St.
- 5/8/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A good candidate for the unexpected sleeper indie crossover of the summer looks to be Fox Searchlight's "Belle," which hits theaters this week. The film tells the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, born in the West Indies in 1761 to an aristocrat, Admiral Sir John Lindsay, and an African slave. She was brought back to England and, as her father's sole heir, albeit an illegitimate one, was raised among great privilege, though not allowed to participate in all aspects of society (she had to dine separately from the rest of her family for instance). "Belle," comes from British director Amma Asante, who made a huge impression a decade ago with gritty drama "A Way Of Life" (which won her a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut—an award that's subsequently gone to the likes of Joe Wright, Andrea Arnold and Duncan Jones), tells Belle's story through the frame of both her...
- 5/1/2014
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Here’s an extremely abridged version of Amma Asante’s career as a director. Back in the early 2000s, she was touting a feature script she had written (“A Way of Life”) to the British Film Institute, while actively seeking a director. The BFI executives then suggested that she herself direct the film. At first appalled by the idea, they offered to fund a month of film school and a test shoot for the feature. Asante eventually agreed, made the film, and subsequently won the BAFTA for Best Debut Feature. Ten years later, she made her second feature “Belle”, released this week in theatres to acclaim. Now she’s been hired to direct a thriller for Warner Bros by the producer of “Batman Returns”. Amma Asante herself is admirably honest about what made her become a director. “Essentially I was forced”, she told Crave Online in Toronto last year. The...
- 5/1/2014
- by Matthew Hammett Knott
- Indiewire
But Your Picture On My Wall: Asante’s Sophomore Feature Revisits Compelling Historical Episode
A decade after her 2004 directorial debut, A Way of Life, director Amma Asante returns with compelling follow-up, Belle, an account of Dido Elizabeth Belle, who in 1769 was an absolute rarity as a mixed race heiress more or less allowed to mingle with the rigid aristocracy. A captivating chronicle related to us with fascinating and melodramatic aplomb, you’ll most likely want to research the eponymous woman at the center of Asante’s tale and be disappointed that there’s actually very little known about her. We can assume that many liberties were taken in the rendering of Asante’s film, though despite some heavy handed clichés here and there, screenwriter Misan Sagay, who previously adapted Zora Neale Thurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, writes a superbly plum role inhabited gloriously by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. You may...
A decade after her 2004 directorial debut, A Way of Life, director Amma Asante returns with compelling follow-up, Belle, an account of Dido Elizabeth Belle, who in 1769 was an absolute rarity as a mixed race heiress more or less allowed to mingle with the rigid aristocracy. A captivating chronicle related to us with fascinating and melodramatic aplomb, you’ll most likely want to research the eponymous woman at the center of Asante’s tale and be disappointed that there’s actually very little known about her. We can assume that many liberties were taken in the rendering of Asante’s film, though despite some heavy handed clichés here and there, screenwriter Misan Sagay, who previously adapted Zora Neale Thurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, writes a superbly plum role inhabited gloriously by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. You may...
- 4/28/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
June is going to be a quieter month than usual this year, what with the World Cup competing for cinemagoers' attention. But that absence of superheroes and action blockbusters leaves room for films like Belle, the 18th century story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral.Belle was raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), but faced prejudice and an uncertain social status. Adding yet another layer of complexity to her situation, her great-uncle was the Lord Chief Justice at a time when many cases involving slavery - and the abolition of same - were coming to the courts.Matthew Goode plays Belle's father, with Sam Reid as an idealistic vicar's son. The film also stars Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, Tom Felton and Sarah Gadon. Belle hits UK cinemas on June 13, directed by...
- 4/2/2014
- EmpireOnline
‘The Inbetweeners 2′ Coming To The UK & Ireland On August 6 Entertainment Film Distributors said Tuesday that The Inbetweeners 2 will hit theaters in the UK and Ireland on August 6. Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas are returning for the comedy sequel written and directed by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris — who created the series on which the films are based — and produced by Spencer Millman. The film, which sees the lads descend on Australia, also stars Emily Berrington, Freddie Stroma and David Field. The Inbetweeners Movie took in nearly £45 million at the UK box office in 2011. Amma Asante Set For ‘Brits to Watch: The Screenings’ In U.S. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced Tuesday that it will profile director Amma Asante (A Way of Life, Belle) next month at the first of this year’s “Brits to Watch: The Screenings,” a series of showcase events...
- 3/12/2014
- by ERIK PEDERSEN
- Deadline TV
London – BAFTA-winning director Amma Asante (A Way of Life, Belle) will be the focus of the first of this year’s "Brits to Watch: The Screenings," a series of showcase events hosted by the British Academy in New York and Los Angeles. The events, in partnership with the government-backed British Council, aim to provide a platform to introduce British film talent to the U.S. film industry. Asante is lined up to attend a screening of her sophomore feature, Belle, which premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, to an industry invite-only crowd in New
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- 3/11/2014
- by Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amma Asante’s period drama stars newcomer Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Twentieth Century Fox is to release period drama Belle in the UK on June 13, 2014.
The film is directed by BAFTA winner Amma Asante, written by Misan Sagay and produced by Damian Jones whose previous credits include Oscar-winner The Iron Lady. It marks Asante’s second feature after A Way of Life in 2004.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in the title role alongside Tom Wilkinson, Sam Reid, Sarah Gadon, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Tom Felton, James Norton, Matthew Goode and Emily Watson.
Belle is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Wilkinson) and his wife (Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, but the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing.
Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for...
Twentieth Century Fox is to release period drama Belle in the UK on June 13, 2014.
The film is directed by BAFTA winner Amma Asante, written by Misan Sagay and produced by Damian Jones whose previous credits include Oscar-winner The Iron Lady. It marks Asante’s second feature after A Way of Life in 2004.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in the title role alongside Tom Wilkinson, Sam Reid, Sarah Gadon, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Tom Felton, James Norton, Matthew Goode and Emily Watson.
Belle is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Wilkinson) and his wife (Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, but the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing.
Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for...
- 1/20/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Belle director and stars discuss their frustration with women’s portrayal in the media and both new opportunities and ongoing challenges for black actors.
After Belle’s standing ovation at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Screen sat down with director Amma Asante and stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Reid to discuss the period-drama’s strong message about female agency.
“Belle is as much about gender as it is about status and class,” acknowledges director Asante.
“These are the subjects that interest me as a filmmaker. There’s still a need to talk about them and throw them out there.”
Inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (played by Touch star Mbatha-Raw), Asante’s sophomore feature charts the trials and tribulations of the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral in late 18th Century England.
The Toronto premiere, picked up by Fox Searchlight for most of the world, is set against...
After Belle’s standing ovation at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Screen sat down with director Amma Asante and stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Reid to discuss the period-drama’s strong message about female agency.
“Belle is as much about gender as it is about status and class,” acknowledges director Asante.
“These are the subjects that interest me as a filmmaker. There’s still a need to talk about them and throw them out there.”
Inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (played by Touch star Mbatha-Raw), Asante’s sophomore feature charts the trials and tribulations of the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral in late 18th Century England.
The Toronto premiere, picked up by Fox Searchlight for most of the world, is set against...
- 10/28/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Fresh from triumph on the festival circuit, a host of exciting British films is set for release. We talk to the directors behind this sudden renaissance
At Cannes, in May, there was anxious talk. Of the 70-plus features showcased at the film festival only two of them were British. Did it signal a decline in the UK industry? By the end of 2013, would our film people be wringing their hands while cinemagoers queued up for American fare and the House of Lords unhappily convened a select committee?
Without a doubt, the pair of British films on show at Cannes were excellent – Clio Barnard's The Selfish Giant and Paul Wright's For Those in Peril – both bruising, powerful dramas. But French and American and Mexican and Chinese and Cambodian film-makers left Cannes with the top prizes; meanwhile fans and boosters of British cinema travelled back across the Channel in mild panic.
At Cannes, in May, there was anxious talk. Of the 70-plus features showcased at the film festival only two of them were British. Did it signal a decline in the UK industry? By the end of 2013, would our film people be wringing their hands while cinemagoers queued up for American fare and the House of Lords unhappily convened a select committee?
Without a doubt, the pair of British films on show at Cannes were excellent – Clio Barnard's The Selfish Giant and Paul Wright's For Those in Peril – both bruising, powerful dramas. But French and American and Mexican and Chinese and Cambodian film-makers left Cannes with the top prizes; meanwhile fans and boosters of British cinema travelled back across the Channel in mild panic.
- 9/15/2013
- by Tom Lamont
- The Guardian - Film News
From the 300-plus films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, five individuals stood out. Amma Asante Director, “Belle” Nine years after her debut feature, “A Way of Life,” premiered at the festival, Amma Asante returned with sophomore effort “Belle,” which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido Elizabeth Belle, the woman depicted in a seminal 1779 painting. The biracial daughter of a Royal Navy captain, Belle was instrumental in the fight to end slavery in England. A former child star in her native England on the long-running show “Grange Hill,” Asante spent four years trying to bring her story to the big screen, even working on the script on her wedding day and writing pickup scenes while sitting by her dying father’s bedside. “An hour after I finished these scenes, Dad died,” she says. “Eight hours later, I was filming those pickup scenes.” Daniel Brühl Actor, “Rush” and “The Fifth Estate...
- 9/11/2013
- backstage.com
In her first leading role, Gugu Mbatha-Raw is featured in these images from director Amma Asante’s Belle.
The film is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode).
Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing. While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
In July Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that the company had acquired most worldwide rights, including North America and the United Kingdom,...
The film is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode).
Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing. While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
In July Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that the company had acquired most worldwide rights, including North America and the United Kingdom,...
- 8/2/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Though it went mostly underseen in the U.S. , Amma Asante's 2004 film "A Way Of Life" was one of the best debut films by a British director in the last decade. A tough, powerful Wales-set drama with a brace of deeply moving performances, it won Asante the BAFTA Carl Foreman award for best debut by a British filmmaker as well as top prizes from the London and Miami Film Festivals, and marked the writer-director as a serious talent to watch. It's taken a little while, but Asante is back with a new film, "Belle," and it looks set to reach a much larger audience than its predecessor, as Fox Searchlight have announced that they've picked up theatrical rights in the U.S., the U.K. and much of the rest of the world. The film's based on the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race illegitimate daughter of...
- 7/1/2013
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Fox Searchlight has acquired most worldwide rights, including North American and UK, to "Belle," the movie inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (played by newcomer Gubu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. The film, directed by BAFTA award winner Amma Asante ("A Way of Life"), also stars Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Sarah Gadon, Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson and Matthew Goode. Searchlights plans to release it next spring. "The experience and sensibilities of the team at Fox Searchlight make it a wonderful match for 'Belle,'" said Asante. "I am so pleased their passion for this film means it now has the ability to be seen by audiences worldwide. We've worked hard to turn historical facts of the life of a true pioneer into a compelling and moving cinema experience." The film centers on Belle, a woman who's aristocratic lineage affords her certain privileges,...
- 7/1/2013
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
It kills me to use Guinness’ slogan as a title and also a theme for an article. The problem is, it just fits my argument so well. Good things come to those who wait. I’ve been told that patience is worth its weight in gold, I know I know, how much does patience weigh? I knew you’d ask that.
Patience was always something Liverpool fans were renowned for, we’d support the club and the manager to the hilt. When the fans turned on a manager, you knew that it must be bad. Or that it really was the time for a change. That was part of the Liverpool way. A way of life that has existed for so long, that I’m not sure when it really started. It was always just there. I was bought up to believe that if you were patient and allowed a project to grow,...
Patience was always something Liverpool fans were renowned for, we’d support the club and the manager to the hilt. When the fans turned on a manager, you knew that it must be bad. Or that it really was the time for a change. That was part of the Liverpool way. A way of life that has existed for so long, that I’m not sure when it really started. It was always just there. I was bought up to believe that if you were patient and allowed a project to grow,...
- 2/25/2013
- by Adam Warren Heayns
- Obsessed with Film
The street-smart Gotham girl is continuing her 2012 hot streak. Following summer turns in Killer Joe and The Dark Knight Rises, Juno Temple is now being courted for a project much more in line with William Friedkin than Christopher Nolan — a comparison Alexandre Aja might relish.
Variety let us know she, Joe Anderson (The Grey), and Kelli Garner (Pan Am) have all been corralled into supporting roles on the director’s newest picture, Horns, thus putting them in the company of Daniel Radcliffe and Max Minghella. As of this writing, news only reveals that Temple will be co-starring as Merrin Williams, the deceased girlfriend of Ig Perrish (Radcliffe) whose death serves as the primary mystery.
I do like that pick, so it’s only right to hope the character will give her more screentime than is typical of a dead character. (A more recent point of comparison would be Leonardo DiCaprio...
Variety let us know she, Joe Anderson (The Grey), and Kelli Garner (Pan Am) have all been corralled into supporting roles on the director’s newest picture, Horns, thus putting them in the company of Daniel Radcliffe and Max Minghella. As of this writing, news only reveals that Temple will be co-starring as Merrin Williams, the deceased girlfriend of Ig Perrish (Radcliffe) whose death serves as the primary mystery.
I do like that pick, so it’s only right to hope the character will give her more screentime than is typical of a dead character. (A more recent point of comparison would be Leonardo DiCaprio...
- 9/7/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The truth about Woody Allen, his typewriter and technology is revealed, the Cannes jury process gets a little less secretive and talented British film-maker Amma Asante is set to make a return
Cyber Woody
Bob Weide – it's pronounced Wide-ee – directed Woody Allen: A Documentary (Bob also directed many episodes of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm).He tells me he's always regretted he couldn't call his son Woody, because Woody Weide would be a silly name. While working with Allen on the rather splendid documentary they used to send emails to each other: From: Weide To: Woody and back, From: Woody To: Weide.
However, in the doc, Woody takes Weide into his study and shows him the typewriter on which he still writes and has written every joke and script since he was 16 years old. So, how does Woody email? "He does have an iPhone," Bob tells me. "But he uses it to make calls,...
Cyber Woody
Bob Weide – it's pronounced Wide-ee – directed Woody Allen: A Documentary (Bob also directed many episodes of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm).He tells me he's always regretted he couldn't call his son Woody, because Woody Weide would be a silly name. While working with Allen on the rather splendid documentary they used to send emails to each other: From: Weide To: Woody and back, From: Woody To: Weide.
However, in the doc, Woody takes Weide into his study and shows him the typewriter on which he still writes and has written every joke and script since he was 16 years old. So, how does Woody email? "He does have an iPhone," Bob tells me. "But he uses it to make calls,...
- 6/9/2012
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Quentin Tarantino and Steve McQueen dared to tackle race and slavery with their latest projects, "Django Unchained" and "Twelve Years A Slave," and it looks like they've now paved the way for other filmmakers to follow suit. One such example is British helmer Amma Asante who's set to adapt the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle -- a half-black illegitimate daughter of renowned Admiral Sir John Lindsay, eventually taken in and raised as an aristocratic lady in 18th Century England by Lindsay's uncle William Murray, the Earl of Mansfield.
Most impressive is the cast Asante has managed to put together, which sees Gugu Mbatha-Raw ("Larry Crowne," J.J. Abrams' short-lived "Undercovers") in the title role with rising stars Sarah Gadon, Sam Claflin, Emily Watson and Matthew Goode all co-starring alongside veterans Tom Wilkinson and Miranda Richardson. Gadon and Claflin are notably taking prominent roles respectively playing Belle's cousin and love interest,...
Most impressive is the cast Asante has managed to put together, which sees Gugu Mbatha-Raw ("Larry Crowne," J.J. Abrams' short-lived "Undercovers") in the title role with rising stars Sarah Gadon, Sam Claflin, Emily Watson and Matthew Goode all co-starring alongside veterans Tom Wilkinson and Miranda Richardson. Gadon and Claflin are notably taking prominent roles respectively playing Belle's cousin and love interest,...
- 5/16/2012
- by Simon Dang
- The Playlist
Music maestro A.R.Rahman may be accumulating hordes of awards and accolades in Hollywood in the recent past, but his last few albums for Hindi films, Ada A Way Of Life, Jhootha Hi Sahi etc have met with a mixed response. In fact his last chartbusting album for Bollywood was way back in 2008 as Ghajini, and though he received much critical acclaim via Delhi 6, Blue and Raavan, commercial success has eluded him ever since. However it appears that Rahman is all set to stage a grand Read More...
- 9/9/2011
- Bollywood Trade
Music maestro A.R.Rahman may be accumulating hordes of awards and accolades in Hollywood in the recent past, but his last few albums for Hindi films, Ada A Way Of Life, Jhootha Hi Sahi etc have met with a mixed response. In fact his last chartbusting album for Bollywood was way back in 2008 as Ghajini, and though he received much critical acclaim via Delhi 6, Blue and Raavan, commercial success has eluded him ever since. However it appears that Rahman is all set to stage a grand...
- 9/9/2011
- GlamSham
He's the little barbarian that could. While audiences around the world continue to be unimpressed by trailers for the upcoming reboot of Conan, another has stepped in to take up arms and defend the barbarian way of life. A way of life built around swords, thongs and hair metal. Yup, it's Ronal.Danish animated feature Ronal The Barbarian rode into the Cannes Marche Du Film armed with an extended 3D promo of footage from the film and rode out with distribution deals in better than fifteen territories, most of which will include theatrical release. Not bad for a movie that isn't even finished yet. Sold territories include France, Germany, Russia / Cis, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Turkey, China, Poland, and India. Distribution...
- 5/23/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Northern Ireland Screen and the Belfast Film Festival are to host a free panel event entitled Northern Exposure – Deal Closure on Thursday, April 7th. Limited space is still available for the event where participating panellists will include producers Hilary Davis (Things to do Before You're Thirty), Julia Short (A Way of Life) and Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Optimum Releasing, Stephen Murphy.
- 4/4/2011
- IFTN
Last Friday saw Wide Angle Media Pvt. Ltd.'s Bhoot And Friends and Ahmad World Studios' Ada ... A Way Of Life. The only well known thing about Bhoot And Friends was Jackie Shroff while it was A. R. Rahman's music for Ada... A Way Of Life. Unfortunately both the films saw poor to very weak openings and both will end up as trade disasters. This week will see the release of the Rani-Vidya starrer No One Killed Jessica, Sayali Bhagat's Impatient Vivek and the Deepal Shaw starrer...
- 1/5/2011
- Bollywood Trade
Last Friday saw Wide Angle Media Pvt. Ltd.'s Bhoot And Friends and Ahmad World Studios' Ada ... A Way Of Life. The only well known thing about Bhoot And Friends was Jackie Shroff while it was A. R. Rahman's music for Ada... A Way Of Life. Unfortunately both the films saw poor to very weak openings and both will end up as trade disasters. This week will see the release of the Rani-Vidya starrer No One Killed Jessica, Sayali Bhagat's Impatient Vivek and the Deepal Shaw starrer...
- 1/5/2011
- Bollywood Trade
Last Friday saw Wide Angle Media Pvt. Ltd.'s Bhoot And Friends and Ahmad World Studios' Ada ... A Way Of Life. The only well known thing about Bhoot And Friends was Jackie Shroff while it was A. R. Rahman's music for Ada... A Way Of Life. Unfortunately both the films saw poor to very weak openings and both will end up as trade disasters. This week will see the release of the Rani-Vidya starrer No One Killed Jessica, Sayali Bhagat's Impatient Vivek and the Deepal Shaw starrer...
- 1/5/2011
- GlamSham
This Friday will see an almost open week as there is just the much delayed Ada ... A Way Of Life and Jackie Shroff's Bhoot And Friends. Needless to add that both the films will sink without a trace and it will benefit last week's Tees Maar Khan and Yash Raj Films' old release Band Baaja Baaraat (which has got additional shows this week). Last week's three releases, Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan, the live animation project Toonpur Ka Superrhero, and the Rajshri venture Isi Life Me...
- 12/30/2010
- Bollywood Trade
This Friday will see an almost open week as there is just the much delayed Ada ... A Way Of Life and Jackie Shroff's Bhoot And Friends. Needless to add that both the films will sink without a trace and it will benefit last week's Tees Maar Khan and Yash Raj Films' old release Band Baaja Baaraat (which has got additional shows this week). Last week's three releases, Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan, the live animation project Toonpur Ka Superrhero, and the Rajshri venture Isi Life Me...
- 12/30/2010
- GlamSham
Part of a film dynasty, he's unforgettable on screen, but has never had an acting lesson. Is it all in the genes for John's late-flowering son, asks John Patterson
If you don't already know whose son Danny Huston is, the fastest way to figure it out is to close your eyes and listen to him speak. The words waft towards you on a breathy cloud, lent colour and character by a detectable lifelong smoking habit (no emphysema like the Old Man had, though, not yet). In a faded American accent that sounds as if it's been acquired or borrowed or even half-forgotten in exile. All inflected with an Irishman's love of words-as-song and a bullshitter's devotion to the art of speech. Every so often a story – and they're all well-told, like dad's were – will resolve itself into a generous, wheezy burst of laughter that's like an invitation to intimacy and friendship.
If you don't already know whose son Danny Huston is, the fastest way to figure it out is to close your eyes and listen to him speak. The words waft towards you on a breathy cloud, lent colour and character by a detectable lifelong smoking habit (no emphysema like the Old Man had, though, not yet). In a faded American accent that sounds as if it's been acquired or borrowed or even half-forgotten in exile. All inflected with an Irishman's love of words-as-song and a bullshitter's devotion to the art of speech. Every so often a story – and they're all well-told, like dad's were – will resolve itself into a generous, wheezy burst of laughter that's like an invitation to intimacy and friendship.
- 2/25/2010
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Amere mention of Ar Rahman infuses life into a venture. And even though he’s the reason behind the delay of Ayaan Ahmad’s debut, Ada - A Way of Life, the 28-year-old isn’t complaining. “All this wait was frustrating, but I’m happy the film will finally be out this month. Rahman’s crafted a beautiful background score, and further lifted the film,” says Ahmad. A few TV commercials old, Ahmad loved playing the “grey character” in this family drama that pairs him with Nauheed Cyrusi. “I didn’t want a romcom as a debut. At least Ada let me show my talent and ...
- 12/4/2009
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Ada is the tale of Ayaan, son of a Noble human being Anil Anand, and a Spiritual Mother, Aamina. Ayaan's gentle world is turned upside down when Anil starts receiving death threats if he goes ahead with his testimony against some criminals.
The world of moral certainties crumbles in the face of contemporary disarray, as the murder of his father sets Ayaan on a course of revenge and killing against the criminals of Mumbai, as he becomes a contract killer.
The conflicted character of Ayaan Anand is a modern tragedy as he becomes part of the criminal stream, even as he searches for truth and happiness.
Ada is a film of the moment, as it compels us to re-examine the youth-crime phenomenon in a very poignant and freshly told story.
Ada - A Way of Life starring Ayaan Ahmad and Nauheed Cyrusi opens on December 18th. The music for the...
The world of moral certainties crumbles in the face of contemporary disarray, as the murder of his father sets Ayaan on a course of revenge and killing against the criminals of Mumbai, as he becomes a contract killer.
The conflicted character of Ayaan Anand is a modern tragedy as he becomes part of the criminal stream, even as he searches for truth and happiness.
Ada is a film of the moment, as it compels us to re-examine the youth-crime phenomenon in a very poignant and freshly told story.
Ada - A Way of Life starring Ayaan Ahmad and Nauheed Cyrusi opens on December 18th. The music for the...
- 11/30/2009
- Bollyspice
If things would have gone as planned by the makers of Ada...A Way Of Life, the film would have released in the middle of last year itself. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the film continued to be delayed and is now hitting the screens on 18th December. One wonders how frustrating it was for the film's debut leading man Ayaan Ahmad who had to wait for such a long period of time? "Well, it's indeed a feeling of mixed reaction. I am glad though that finally our e...
- 11/30/2009
- GlamSham
Here's the newly released theatrical trailer for the upcoming musical film Ada...A Way of Life, scheduled to release December 18, 2009. The director, Tanvir Ahmed, describes this film as "a tale of a noble father, a religious mother and a gangster son in Mumbai City", and his son Ayaan Ahmed will be debuting as the lead protagonist alongside newcomer Nauheed Cyrusi.
The film is said to be "a music journey by Ar Rahman" and features many great singers including Ar Rahman himself, Sonu Nigam, Rashid Ali, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh and more! Make sure to read BollySpice's review of the complete soundtrack (released May 2008) after you've finished watching this intriguing trailer!
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mrddJIb3Rkg&hl=en&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" al...
The film is said to be "a music journey by Ar Rahman" and features many great singers including Ar Rahman himself, Sonu Nigam, Rashid Ali, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh and more! Make sure to read BollySpice's review of the complete soundtrack (released May 2008) after you've finished watching this intriguing trailer!
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mrddJIb3Rkg&hl=en&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" al...
- 11/10/2009
- Bollyspice
David Gray with Lisa Hannigan plasy the Orpheum Theatre Friday, October 30 at 8:00pm David Gray is not one to rest on his laurels; 12 million album sales, the best selling album in Ireland ever with 'White Ladder', a BAFTA nomination for his soundtrack work on Amma Assante's 2004 film 'A Way Of Life'. Two Ivor Novellos, a Q award, two Brit nominations, and a Grammy nomination.
- 10/29/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
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